Clare and Katie: From Streets to Stability

Written by Rebecca J. Whitman

When we found Clare and her daughter, Katie, they were unexpectedly homeless and on the streets in Mount Olive. Local pastors at The Bridge Church Mount Olive contacted us and asked for our help. 

Clare was a wreck when we got her. As a single mom with a sick daughter, she found herself dependent on men for provision, and that led her through a series of bad situations, abuse, and drug use. She couldn’t see a way out, nor did she trust that anything better was going to happen for her. All her dreams were sacrificed to jump from couch to couch and try to keep Katie safe.

Katie was a healthy, loving 10-year-old girl; however, you could not see that she was born with a hole in her heart and had to fight uphill to stay alive. Katie’s health kept her sick, isolated, and in and out of hospitals most of her childhood. With an unsteady and often volatile home as well as ADHD, she struggled in school. At 10, she couldn’t read more than a few words and phrases.

The 4 Day Movement surrounded them both with love. First, we got them into stable housing and school systems that could help them progress. We became an established presence that they could count on and look forward to in their lives. They came to church with us, ate with us, and did life with us. They developed relationships with God and were challenged in their faith. They became involved in church small groups and ministries. They began to see their own self worth and hear God tell them that life could and should be better than what they were settling for. As a result, they began to take on bigger challenges. 

The 4 Day Movement helped Clare overcome obstacles to go back to college. She is now at Wayne Community College pursuing a degree in Cyber Security and doing well in all her classes. She dreams of having her own home in the country where she can live a farm life and provide for her daughter without depending on others. She is looking forward to the income and flexibility her career can provide. She is working and saving money towards her future. 

The 4 Day Movement helped Katie by partnering with a tutoring agency to help her attain mastery of her learning gaps. They started with Kindergarten level material and were able to raise her test scores to first and second grade in reading and math by the end of the summer. Katie is now in middle school and doing well in her classes. She still meets with a tutor to help her accomplish the long-term goal of filling in the gaps in her education. She also enrolled in Karate which accomplished a lot to help her self esteem. She has already earned an orange belt. She is growing into a strong, confident young woman.