Homeless Since 16: Aubrey's Story

Aubrey became homeless at an early age. Oliver Gospel gave her the opportunity she needed to turn her life around.

Aubrey experienced a difficult childhood. She came from a big family, and the abuse she endured from her parents left her feeling like she wasn't allowed to be the person she wanted to be.

"All I knew was to be yelled at, or to be treated differently, or to get hit. As I got older, I would always try to stay away from home."

Her situation reached a breaking point when she was kicked out of the house at the age of 16. Aubrey had to finish high school on her own while experiencing homelessness. Everyday tasks, like finding food, a place to sleep, and a ride to school, became challenging.

During this time, Aubrey got caught up in the wrong crowd and began using drugs. She became pregnant at a young age, and after having the baby, she fell back into addictive habits.

Struggling to provide for her child while dealing with addiction took it's toll on Aubrey. She knew she needed to be a better mother, and the environment she was in was no place for a child.

"I decided that I couldn’t do it anymore. Who was going to take care of the baby? I went to rehab to get help."

Aubrey worked hard to recover from her addiction at a rehab facility, and it was there that she heard about Toby's Place, Oliver Gospel's home for women and children experiencing homelessness.

An uplifting, supportive, and Christ-centered community was something that Aubrey had never experienced, but she knew it was what she needed. She enrolled at Toby's Place upon her completion of rehab, where her and her child were welcomed with open arms.

"I started to love Toby's Place more and more every day. They are really loving and they really do care for you... They can help push you to the next step in your life that you need to take."

Aubrey began learning important lessons about setting boundaries and forming positive relationships. Counseling services helped her heal from trauma she experienced as a child. She learned reliable work habits, and she even wrote a resume for the first time in her life.

The most important thing Aubrey found at Toby's Place was her passion for the Lord. She attends church services weekly, participates in daily devotion, and gave her life to Christ by being baptized earlier this year.

"Putting God in the center of my life really helped me heal from a lot of my trauma."

Today, Aubrey is enjoying sobriety and the peace that comes with it. She has found full-time employment to save for housing of her own, and the majority of her free-time is spent caring for and raising her child. Once she finds housing, she would like to go back to school to studying nursing.

"I’ve been homeless since I was 16, and now I’m on my way to having my own place and my own life."

Aubrey is filled with hope thanks to the incredible generosity and support from donors like you! Your gift today will show the power of Christ's love to even more neighbors in need throughout the Midlands.

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Watch Aubrey's story here: