Angela Johnson

From a college graduate to a homeless, single mother, Angela has seen her share of up-and-downs. But with the help of The Salvation Army’s Emergency Family Shelter, Angela has regained her strength and confidence, and is now paving the way to a more stable life.

In May of 2007, Angela graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Promotions from Northern Illinois University, and felt that she had a bright future ahead. Shortly after graduation, Angela moved in with her boyfriend in Memphis, leaving all of her family behind. Soon after, Angela gave birth to her son, Camryn.

Following the birth of her son, Angela’s relationship with her boyfriend turned sour. Simple disagreements escalated into heated arguments, and Angela soon found herself in an abusive relationship. After months of suffering physical and emotional abuse, Angela’s boyfriend kicked her out of the house, leaving her and Camryn homeless.

Angela sought shelter from her friends and spent weeks living couch to couch, but her abusive boyfriend was never far behind. Angela realized she needed to make a change for her son’s sake after her son witnessed the last altercation between her and her boyfriend.

“I decided I had to get back on my feet for my son,” Angela said. “The constant moving around and abuse was not the right environment for my son. It wasn’t fair to him.”

After exploring the options for homeless women, Angela had a stroke of luck. While visiting an acquaintance, Angela learned of The Salvation Army’s Emergency Family Shelter. Two days later, Angela and her son had a new home at the Emergency Family Shelter.

“I immediately felt welcomed,” Angela said. “It was hard to deal with being considered ‘homeless,’ but the environment here is so safe and secure.”

Angela’s program focused on personal and professional development. In addition to completing community service hours, Angela attended “job readiness” classes where she learned about cover letters, resume building and networking. In addition to her program, Angela and her son bonded with the people at the shelter. She considers The Salvation Army her home and the employees her family.

Angela is grateful for all that she has learned while at the Family Shelter. She praises the staff of The Salvation Army for having the passion and knowledge to successfully inspire fragile people, like herself, to succeed.

“The women treat us like people,” Angela explained. “They give us confidence and motivate us to get our power back. Their knowledge and communication skills are top level, and they truly help us realize that we aren’t worthless.”

The program was an inspiration for her future, and she has already begun training for a case manager position with the local Homeless Prevention Program.

“One of the most important things I’ve learned is how to be independent again,” she explained. “Just learning to get my power back and knowing that I don’t need to rely on anyone else, I know I can handle business on my own.”

Angela aspires to hold a stable position with a non-profit organization, own a car and eventually purchase a home for her and her son. She will never forget her experience at the Shelter, but she will prevent it from happening again and help others in similar situations. Angela’s story sends the message that even with prior success, like a college degree, everyone can have their shortcomings, but it is important to know you can always ‘get your power back.’