When Hanna arrived at Mosaic House with her three children, she was anxious, scared, and unsure of what would come next. A global pandemic was taking place, and with an abusive husband terrorizing her at home, Hanna had nowhere to turn. Originally from Iraq, Hanna and her husband had only recently arrived in the US with their children, and she had no other family in the country.
Hanna spoke little English and had never worked outside of the home. Once at the shelter, Hanna was paired with a case manager who spoke her native Arabic, and the shelter staff got to work making Hanna and her children feel safe and secure.
With Mosaic’s support, Hanna worked hard to start rebuilding her life. She arranged childcare with the onsite Childcare Center so that she could focus on the many tasks ahead of her: getting her drivers license, attending ESL classes, and taking parenting classes to strengthen her ability to guide her children through the enormous transitions they’d experienced. Hanna also began therapy through onsite counseling to begin processing the trauma she’d endured. Slowly but surely, Hanna’s situation improved, and within a few months, she obtained her first job ever.
After living at Mosaic House for nearly a year, Hanna and her children moved into one of Mosaic’s Transitional Housing apartments. The Transitional Housing program provided Hanna with rental and utilities assistance while she worked with Mosaic staff to plan her budget, apply for rental assistance with a local Housing Authority, and start planning for the family’s eventual transition to permanent housing. While she received a housing voucher, it was very difficult for Hanna to secure her own safe and stable apartment because of rising housing costs and limited availability.
Hanna remained steadfast and continued working, improving her English, healing through counseling, and saving money. With the help of her Mosaic attorney, Hanna finalized her divorce and obtained custody of her children. And after seven months, Hanna finally secured an apartment with the help of transitional housing staff.
Today, Hanna and her three children live in their own lovely apartment and are stable, safe, and secure. Hanna expressed her happiness and cried tears of joy when she first stepped into her apartment with her children. In her own words: “I am so grateful for Mosaic for giving me a safe place to find myself again.”
