Domestic Violence Survivor Helps Others Through Safe Housing Resources
“I have no doubt in my mind that I've found what I want to do,” says Housing Resource Navigator Ashley. “I always knew growing up that I wanted to help people. I just didn't know what that looked like. I'm really excited to get all of this experience with AmeriCorps and use that experience to do this as a career.”
Ashley recently began her second year with Heading Home Corps. For her service, she was placed at an organization that focuses on supporting community members who have recently faced domestic violence. While some members of Heading Home Corps work with clients one-on-one to find a safe place to stay, Ashley supports them after they’ve secured housing. One way she does this is by guiding clients through the application process for programs like Bridging, an independent nonprofit that provides donated furniture and household goods to people escaping unsafe living situations. With Ashley’s support, clients pay a small fee to get bedding, furniture, cookware, and other necessities to stabilize housing delivered to their door.
“A lot of people are coming from nothing because they had to flee,” she explains. “Your quality of life isn't going to be very good if you have a place to rent, but you don't have anywhere to sleep inside of your house.”
Having experienced domestic violence herself, Ashley knows what it’s like to start over with nothing. She advocated for herself and worked hard every day to find a new place to live after leaving. It was a huge challenge to juggle all of the different systems, so Ashley uses her experience to ensure more Minnesotans get the support they need.
“Doing it by myself is what made me want to do what I do,” she says. “I don't feel like people should be alone in the situation. It's kind of empowering in a way because I took something really bad that happened to me and made something good out of it.”
Ashley enjoys working with clients closely and being someone they can rely on. Because she knows what it’s like to be in their shoes, she understands that it may take some time to develop trust.
“It's a working process when you have people that have been through so much, but at the end of the day, it's a beautiful process to watch somebody be very closed off and to then, after a few meetings, really be comfortable with telling you what they need and getting that from you,” she says.
In addition to helping survivors apply for programs and access systems to meet their basic needs, Ashley regularly spends time at community events and food shelves to spread the word about her organization’s resources. Her service has featured a huge variety of opportunities to make connections and support others in her community!
“I look forward to having something new to do every day. It's the same stuff, but it's not repetitive because every family is different,” she says.
Ashley hopes that in her second year as a Housing Resource Navigator she will continue building her skill set. She plans on gaining as much experience as possible with Heading Home Corps, building a strong foundation for a future career in social services.
“I've just been very thankful to serve,” she says. "I'm really looking forward to serving in the future and helping more families and individuals reach their full potential and break generational trauma.”
Thank you for your dedication to supporting our neighbors, Ashley! We are so grateful for your service. If you are interested in joining Heading Home Corps, we would love to have you on our team! Find an opening near you and help us give more Minnesotans a safe place to call home!