In her previous life, Sharon was a teacher with a master’s degree, but all that fell apart in when she experienced a psychotic episode. She never shared the details, but other women who have passed through Martha’s Place have described similar experiences – they had been in a violent relationship, abused as a child or raped. Years later post-traumatic stress syndrome kicked in, complete with flashbacks and nightmares. The experience left Sharon unable to function, and soon lost her job and apartment, along with all of her furniture. 

She thought she could stay with a friend in New Haven. When that fell through, she found NHHR, which provides housing and support to women and their children. Martha’s Place is mostly for single women with a myriad of social issues and a wide range of needs. Case managers there provided Sharon with food, clothing and toiletries. They found her mental health treatment and worked with her on issues such as finding work again.
It was clear that one of Sharon’s biggest roadblocks was her sense of isolation. NHHR connected her with Fellowship Place, which provides support and community for people recovering from mental illness. Sharon stayed at Martha’s Place for about two months, then Fellowship Place helped her find housing.
The Neighbor-to-Neighbor LifeLine program recently gave New Haven Home Recovery a $15,000 grant to support its CareWays and Martha’s Place shelters. For single women like Sharon, Martha’s Place is the only place in New Haven that provides a stable place to stay not only at night, but also during the day. It’s a place where elderly and medically compromised women who are homeless can receive visiting nurse care. NHHR puts a roof over their heads and puts together an action plan to identify barriers to permanent housing and resources to overcoming those barriers, including security deposit programs, rental assistance programs, furniture assistance and behavioral health assistance.
Sharon is an example of how shelter and supportive services help women get back on their feet. Today she is living on her own, but she still visits Martha’s Place as a participant in NHHR’s peer mentor program, helping other women find a better way to live.