The family’s identity in the following story has been made anonymous, to protect their privacy.
When she first came to Judson Center, she didn’t have a place to sleep.
She was pregnant and homeless, two of the most vulnerable circumstances a person can face at once. For Jenna Goss, a case manager in Judson Center’s Behavioral Health program, it was the kind of situation that demanded immediate action.
“One of the main things that I do is find housing for people,” Jenna says, “which is extremely hard. It’s the hardest part of my job.”
Finding Stability in a Difficult System
Housing support is rarely simple. Long waitlists, limited resources, and programs in constant flux make an already difficult process even harder to navigate.
“It’s normally a three-year waiting list for housing,” Jenna explains, “and that’s the worst part of it.”
For a woman who was homeless and expecting a baby, waiting three years wasn’t an option. So Jenna focused on what was possible right now, finding immediate shelter that could offer safety while longer-term solutions were pursued.
“I was able to get her into a women’s transitional program.”
That single step became the beginning of a very different kind of future.
A Safe Place to Start
The transitional program gave her something she hadn’t had in a long time: stability. And stability, it turns out, changes everything.
“She is still there to this day with her newborn baby,” Jenna says. “Because she was able to get stability at that transitional home, it’s given her so much power.”
With a safe place to stay, she was no longer just surviving. She could start thinking about what came next.
Working Toward Independence
That shift in focus, from crisis to future, is where the real work began. Jenna and her client are now working toward a permanent home.
“We’re transitioning her into her own place right now with her baby. It’s a little bit tough, but she’s doing great.”
What stands out most to Jenna isn’t just the progress, it’s the ownership her client has taken over her own story.
“She’s really taking accountability for her actions and finding a home for her and her baby.”
More Than Just a Roof
Housing was the immediate need, but the impact of that stability has rippled far beyond four walls. With a secure foundation, she’s been able to rebuild confidence, independence, and hope; things that homelessness has a way of quietly stripping away.
Jenna sees this pattern across much of her caseload.
“I feel like the majority of my caseload is in need of housing, and it’s just so tough. But we’re pushing through it, and the clients are pushing as well.”
The Work Continues
Stories like this one don’t happen overnight. They require persistence, advocacy, and a willingness to keep searching for solutions even when the resources don’t match the need.
But Jenna keeps showing up, and so do her clients.
Today, this young mother is no longer defined by homelessness or instability. She’s building a permanent home for herself and her child, one step at a time.
“We’re doing good,” Jenna says. “We’re trying.”
And sometimes, that’s exactly what lasting change looks like.