Testimonials
Jamie M.
Moving in to Martha’s home saved my life. I was sad, homeless without hope and on the verge of making some bad decisions. Martha’s home has given me a place to live, food to eat, and most of all hope for the future. I now believe there is a system out there that works, and there are people out there who really care. I feel very blessed to be welcomed into Martha’s Home. I hope that Martha’s Home is around for many years to help the helpless because like Martha’s home says, it’s not a hand out, it’s a hand up.
Quetta G.
My stay at Martha’s Home has been an awesome experience. They took me off the street, giving me a safe place to stay. I have been an able to learn how to associate with other women in a normal atmosphere. Going to life skills is a really special part of the program here. There are so many assets that it would take too much room to list them all. I thank God, and of course the Martha's Home staff, for allowing me to be here now. With all the turmoil in my life right now I have no idea where l would be without this place.
Kristi B.
Staying at Martha’s house probably saved my life. I feel safe - when for the prior 12-14 months, l did not. I have been able to find work while staying here . The girls who stay here as well as staff members have all touched my heart and mean the world to me.
We are family, friends, and each other’s cheerleaders. Each day of my stay have truly been a blessing
Meg L.
I start every day with guidance prayers. but never do l forget to thank the good Lord above for the countless blessings that Martha’s Home has shined upon my life. Each day l gain more love for myself and all others who cross my path. It has proven to be a well structured and a great place to kick start a balanced life style for me and my children. It’s a loving caring, and showing environment. My stay here has been pleasant and comfortable. Martha’s Home is helping me become a better person, mother, and positive part of society. I love this place, God Bless it and keep it safe always.
Celina C.
I became homeless in July of 2008. I lost my job after being very sick and having surgery. I fell behind in rent so my 3 children and I had to move out of our apartment. I tried reconciling with their father for a while, but he was abusing drugs and I did not want my children living in that environment. Thankfully, a room opened up at Martha’s Home for me and the kids in September. It could not have happened at a better time. With a nice place to stay and food on the table, I did not have to worry about day to day survival any more. The women working at Martha’s Home were always there to give me encouragement and the extra push that I needed. They told me I was smart and could accomplish whatever I put my mind to. I enrolled at Amarillo College that same month and found another job. I also met other single mothers in the same situation as me and I don’t feel like I am all alone anymore.
I have been in my place for over a month now, but the staff at Martha’s Home is still there for me when I need them. They continue to help me with medicine, food, diapers and clothing for my kids. They even helped me with furniture when I moved out. In fact, they gave me the first kitchen table I ever owned. More importantly, however, my stay at Martha’s Home gave me hope for a brighter tomorrow.
Melanie B.
I have been living at Martha’s Home for almost 2 months now and I thank God every day for bringing me here. Before I came here, I was moving around from place to place staying with friends or wherever I could. Before I became homeless, I was married to a man that abused drugs. When he was high, he abused me and my 9 year old son. When CPS showed up and took away my son, I knew it was finally time to get out of there. I stayed wherever I could and then I heard about Martha’s Home. The first time I walked in the door, I was amazed at how it looked. I have never seen a shelter that looked so elegant and warming. Then, I met their Chocolate Lab named Molly and I knew in my heart this was the place I needed to be. The staff is so loving and caring. They make sure you are well taken care of. My son had been placed out at Boys Ranch and I had not been able to visit him because I had no transportation. When the staff found out, they took me out there to see him. That meant so much to me.
Things are going great for me now. I am working full-time and I have completed parenting classes. CPS agreed to send my son to live with my parents out of state and I will be joining them in a few weeks when CPS closes my case. As soon as I get home, I will be finding a job and a church home. I eventually want to return to school and become a Vet Assistant. I am excited about my future and thankful for the opportunity given to me by Martha’s Home. This is a great place to be if a woman really wants to succeed and be self-sufficient. If I had not checked in here, I probably would have given up on life and everything that meant anything to me, but the staff and other residents here would not let me. I thank God for Martha’s Home and all they have done for me.
Sandy Kline
One of the greatest lessons I learned was that anyone can serve God, angels don't always have halos and flowing robes. It could be anyone. Walking, I was determined that no one else that day was going to touch me, no one else was going to hurt me that day. Stopping to sit in a secluded stairwell of a neighborhood church, I cried and prayed. I was startled when a black dude on a blue ten-speed bicycle carrying a bag of laundry on his shoulder suddenly appeared. He's been following me I thought, reaching for my knife. "Are you OK? You look like you're having a hard time. I know what it's like to have a hard time. I just got out of prison and I have $5.00 if that'll help." Skeptical, but desperate, I commanded him to lay it on the sidewalk and back away. As he walked away, pushing his bicycle and shouldering his burden, I was amazed at his kindness, and laughed at the irony in God's answer to my request for the protection of a guardian angel. No little girl ever sits playing with dolls, reading fairy-tales, and dreaming of the day her addiction will be the catalyst for a life of domestic violence, deprivation, incarceration, and shame.
There are fateful moments in our lives that are encapsulated in a memory and remain there, vivid and unchanging. One of these moments was when he said, "We have to be out of here tomorrow because I didn't pay the rent." That was the moment I found myself literally living on the streets. Years I had spent as a single mother, working and trying to complete my education were a broken and distant dream as the reality of existing on a daily basis rendered me incapable of any type of normal function. Life became a nightmare and everyday was like running the gauntlet, just trying to survive. I lost everything and everyone who had ever mattered in my life. Homeless was not synonymous with "crazy" or "dirty" anymore; homeless was a grim circumstance and a vicious cycle that provided every opportunity to lie, steal, do drugs, go to prison, or die, with little chance to escape or reverse the ever downward spiral. I sat and watched as adolescent girls were injected with methamphetamines and an unborn child was dosed with heroin. Horrified and equally powerless, but not devoid of hope, I prayed that I would survive and a door would be opened allowing me to serve God. Without condition or promise I made my plea.
The door that opened on June 9, 2003 was the door to Martha's Home. Ascending the stairs for my first view of the room I was to share with four other women, I was anxious, still a suspicious stranger. The single bed with little daisy sheets in front of the window where I would have a place to lay my head every night for three months looked like Heaven to me. I was safe. Martha's home provided not only the basic needs of shelter, food, and clothing, but the structure that was a key factor in transforming the negative people, places, and things that had permeated my life into productive efforts and positive goals. After leaving Martha's Home, I graduated from college and now work with the at-risk kids that I once stood and helplessly watched plunge into a dead-end and dangerous street culture. Martha's home gave me a chance when I was desperate, scared, and disheartened- when no one believed I was worth it, and that has made all the difference.
