PHOENIX — Pamela Williams describes the emotions she felt after finding herself homeless.
"I felt like I was worth nothing. I was depressed because again, I had a disabled son and I had my grandchildren and my daughter and we were just out there," said Williams.
She says she had a job and a family, and it was all taken away from her.
"In an instant, yes. Due to a car accident, I couldn't pay my rent. Five-day notice came. After five-day notice, you were booted out. Sheriff would come by, if you ain't gone, they kick you out. Put all your stuff on the street," said Williams.
Thankfully she had her faith and turned to her church for refuge.
"My church members gave me $800 here, $600 there, you know, $300. It was the church that helped me," she explained.
After getting back on her feet, Williams is now paying it forward through her own organization, Journey Out of Homelessness, which focuses on helping families find a place to stay.
The organization helps people like Sheaneil Booker, who became homeless after taking in her five nieces and nephews and then was forced from her home because of safety concerns.
"211 gave me a list of other, uhm agencies that I could call and Journey Out Of Homelessness actually contacted me back, and since then they have been in contact with me pretty much every day," said Booker.
She tells us the organization has helped her navigate the system that has thus far failed her.
We asked: When you hear the narrative about the homeless and then you look at your situation, are they getting it wrong?
"These are families. These are children. These are me. People who are employable. People who... I was a business owner. I stepped in to do something that was right for these children and because of that, I was displaced. They were displaced. It shouldn't take this long in order for us to get help. It shouldn't take them. I feel bad feeling like any day they could wake up and be taken from me," said Booker.
Unfortunately, Williams sees situations like Booker's all day, every day.
"We just helped a young lady last night. Her aunt, again another aunt, stepping in, taking care of her and her children. She has six children, you know, has a job. She works and was priced out. So, she became homeless sleeping in a car with her kids. We took food to her, gave her a gift card. Took clothes," said Williams.
Williams says she'll continue helping families expecting nothing in return but the peace of mind of knowing these families are off the streets.
"They come up and say 'Thank you so much for thinking of us. Can I give you a hug?' It's rewarding to hear that, you know. Not that I'm tootin' a horn or anything. But it's rewarding to say 'You thought of us. We were nothing but you thought of us to do this for us," said Williams.
The organization is run on donations. If you'd like to help out or donate, click here.
