Jen’s life once held the promise of stability and happiness: a loving marriage, two children, and a steady job. But when her husband’s battle with alcoholism turned to abuse and financial ruin, her family’s world began to unravel. The threat of eviction loomed, and Jen faced a heartbreaking choice: to stay in danger or leave everything behind to protect her children.
Leaving her home, job, and familiar life, Jen moved with her children to a new town to live with her mother. But just nine months later, tragedy struck again when her mother passed away. Homeless once more, Jen and her children endured the instability of six different temporary homes, clinging to hope in the darkest of times.
Their turning point came when they connected with New Life Mission, an organization dedicated to empowering homeless women and children through education, faith, and unwavering support. Here, Jen began rebuilding her life. Her youngest son, diagnosed with autism, found success and joy in school, while her older son earned acceptance to a top local college prep school.
After four transformative years with New Life Mission, Jen and her family were thriving but still lacked a place to truly call home.
Volunteers of America Florida answered with Space Coast Commons, a beacon of hope amidst Palm Bay’s housing crisis. This 31-unit affordable housing development became the stable foundation Jen’s family so desperately needed.
Through the Brevard Homeless Coalition’s Coordinated Entry process, Jen was connected to VOAF and referred to Community of Hope for housing support. Thanks to the strong partnership between our organizations, Community of Hope helped cover Jen’s move-in expenses, easing her family’s transition into stable housing.
For the first time in years, Jen’s family enjoyed the comforts many take for granted: their own two-bedroom apartment, separate rooms with doors, and even a dishwasher brought surprising joy to her teenage boys. But life’s challenges did not end there. Shortly after moving in, Jen’s estranged husband passed away, leaving her and her sons to grieve together.
Despite ongoing personal battles with mental health, Jen holds tightly to hope. She describes her family not just as a unit, but as a team supporting and uplifting one another through every challenge.
Within the supportive community at Space Coast Commons, neighbors lean on one another, sharing kindness and lifting each other up. Jen exemplifies this spirit of generosity herself, recently lending a helping hand to an elderly neighbor, embodying the hope and renewal the community fosters.
Today, with a safe and stable home, Jen breathes easier. She is back in college, working, and cheering on her sons, who are flourishing. Her eldest son, a senior this year, is preparing to go to college, the same college his mom is attending! They are excited to be students together, and her youngest is excelling academically and playing trumpet in an invite-only jazz band.
Jen puts it simply; Space Coast Commons is not just a housing development; it is a lifeline. It delivers essential services, builds community, and nurtures hope.
For Jen and her family, it is the foundation not just for a house, but for a future full of possibility, resilience, and continued faith. It is a community that provides critical resources, restores hope, and helps families and people like hers find strength, healing, and a place to grow.