Mandy doesn’t want to spend too much time focused on the past. She is much more concerned with what lies ahead. As a recent cosmetology graduate, she sees the next horizon coming into view.

In March 2020, Mandy was preparing to move into a new apartment with her kids when the landlord backed out of the deal at the last minute. Having already given her current landlord notice, she was stuck without a place to go.

One thing to note about Mandy is that she is a survivor, and this was just one more detour in life that she was determined to overcome.

Leaning on her support network, Mandy’s kids stayed with their grandmother. Because of a strained relationship, Mandy chose to sleep out of her car near the UW Tacoma campus. She refused to miss classes and worked with professors not to fall behind.

Knowing her situation was unsustainable, Mandy called 2-1-1, the coordinated entry system for Tacoma, where she was teamed with a case manager who told her about some affordable townhouses near campus. Sight unseen, Mandy jumped at the opportunity. Before she knew it, Mandy was moving her young family into a Mercy Housing community.

“I believe it was the day before Christmas Eve that I got the keys. It felt so good that I had a safe place – it felt incredible,” Mandy reflected.

Once Mandy and her children had settled into their new townhome, she enrolled in beauty school, which had always been one of her dreams. “I was made aware of a scholarship through Mercy Housing and applied,” she shared. She won the scholarship. “If it wasn’t for this place, I wouldn’t have been able to finish school. I got to focus on school and being a mom instead of having to worry about juggling two dead-end jobs, and now I have a career, “ Mandy proudly stated.

We are excited to follow Mandy’s journey as she continues to turn her dreams into reality.

Mandy is one of two Mercy Housing Northwest residents featured at our 2022 Power of Home event. Your support provides critical funding for onsite Resident Services programming and activities aimed at keeping residents stably housed and engaged, and growing in their community. We invite you to watch Mercy Housing Northwest 2022 Power of Home video.