Abby, a 20 year-old woman, and her baby daughter, Haley, were staying with a relative before a lost job meant a lost apartment. Abby and Haley became homeless. At Stepping Stones, Abby has continued to work part-time at a local retail store, but her income is not adequate to pay for either child care for Haley, or for housing. Christmas morning, they will have new pajamas and slippers to wear as they will open their gifts, all provided by the Shelter. Through the work of Stepping Stones, Abby and Haley have been accepted to a housing program in the community, and they will begin preparing to move to their new apartment early next year.

Each year, Stepping Stones serves more than 30 families, providing safe shelter and needed support services for families in crisis.

In 2011, Stepping Stones served as the home of last resort for 33 families, including more than 110 individuals, nearly half of whom were children age 4 and under. Most families (42%) were young single mothers (aged 18-25) with very young children.

In addition to shelter services, Stepping Stones provides on-going support for former resident families who move back into the community, but often lack resources to be stable and self-sufficient. Families come back to us for diapers, food, and referrals to other service providers. Each summer, Stepping Stones hosts a Back-to-School picnic, and we welcome our families to come back for fun and food. Each child leaves the picnic with a backpack filled with grade appropriate school supplies to start the year off right. Our former families also receive Thanksgiving baskets with food and Christmas gifts, thanks to our many holiday angels in the community.