“You have to keep looking forward and focus on the positives.”
Although Aaran’s life has been difficult, she reminds herself of that mantra and what she has gone through to get to where she is. She has difficulty talking about what led to her incarceration in 2018 and what led to her homelessness after being released during the winter. She was dropped off at the Lamb Center in Fairfax during the Hypothermia Prevention Program and stayed overnight at the rotating churches.
“When you are homeless and at the backpack stage, find a buddy. Use the buddy system to get through it. You need to be open to help.”
While in the hypothermia prevention program, Aaran shares that although it was hard, it was a blessing to be a part of and that it was a step on her journey to where she is now. While in the program, she was able to apply for permanent supportive housing and was matched with an open room at Max’s Place, one of New Hope Housing’s group homes. It was the next step on her journey.
She was introduced to the Operation Stream Shield program at the Lamb Center, an employment program for homeless adults that cleans up streams and waterways in Fairfax County and worked a few days a week while living at Max’s Place. She had to travel by public transportation to get to the Lamb Center, waking up at 4 AM to arrive on time for her shift.
After awhile at Max’s Place, a studio apartment opened at Mondloch Place. Aaran and her case managers felt she was ready to graduate to more independent living and helped her move. At Mondloch, Aaran started budgeting her money and was able to treat herself to cable and could afford her cell phone bill.
“I felt like an adult again… I was making payments on things that mattered.”
She started working with the Operation Stream Shield program again, this time through New Hope Housing, and she was able to save enough money to purchase a car. She says it’s a blessing to have a car and to go from being on foot and walking everywhere to having reliable transportation. She also says the car is her back-up plan. She says, “What if something happens, and I need to move into my car?”
After being at Mondloch for a time, Aaran and her case managers felt she was ready to be on her own. She was moved to an apartment in the community. At first it was great, and she spent two years there, but the apartment had a leak, and she had to move. She moved into a new apartment in Lorton, which she loves. She says that Lorton is quiet and feels very safe and cozy. She likes being off Route 1, which she is familiar with.
Recently, Aaran was approved for a Housing Voucher! She chose to stay in Lorton and is excited to have made the journey from walking on the streets with her backpack and staying in churches to having a place of her own to call home. She has a part-time job to help pay the bills and a fish named Toby Rainbow. Although she is moving out on her own, she says that she doesn’t want to forget where she’s come from and the people who have been a guiding light on her journey.
“I know that I am in a safe place, and I know that I won’t be homeless again.”