Sou-Sou is an attentive young mother with one eye and one ear perpetually trained on Colin, her two and a half year old son. Her path to her sleek, modern apartment was not a smooth one. She was isolated and alone, a victim of domestic violence.
But her arrival at Community Lodgings’ apartment number four, after stints in a friend’s small room and a homeless shelter, couldn’t have been more joyous. Now, this well-educated, multi-lingual young woman, who speaks Arabic, French and English, and likes to read psychology books when she is not working, is looking forward to independence and making a contribution to others.
Beaming, Sou-Sou described her new apartment as tears came to her eyes when Charlyne first opened the door. “It was a big surprise. Everything was brand new, and so beautifully furnished. In my first home, we used to eat on a towel on the floor. Everything from the big things, to the smallest detail, everything from A – Z, was beautiful, and in my favorite greens and yellows.”
In just two short weeks, Community Lodgings helped Sou-Sou find her job, helped her organize her life and introduced her to a built-in support network. She has an Egyptian neighbor, also a young mother, and they share childcare duties and each other’s company. Sou-Sou has independence in her sights and her ambition is to be a social worker. “I have everything I need, and more,” said Sou-Sou, who is about to turn 30 and anticipating a bright future for herself and her son.
