Michelle grew up in the Midwest and married at a young age. As time went on, her husband began abusing her, and she made the difficult decision to leave.

“As the abuse got worse, I knew I had to leave my husband, or I wouldn’t survive,” Michelle says. “I ended up in Boston but had nowhere to live.”

“For 17 years I lived on the street or stayed with friends,” Michelle says. “Shelters were not for me, and I had developed a substance use issue to cope with my abuse. You have to learn how to survive when you have nowhere else to go.”

During that time, Michelle learned about Pine Street Inn’s outreach team. The outreach staff stayed in contact with her, building rapport and trust over the years. “They never gave up on me,” Michelle says. “Eventually, I agreed to look for housing. I still remember the day my case manager came to tell me that I had gotten my own place. I was so happy that I started jumping for joy.”

Michelle has lived in one of Pine Street’s residences in Brookline for five years. “I wouldn’t give up my apartment for anything,” she says. “I never had a place to call my own. I have a wonderful community of friends in the building, and the staff has helped me get into recovery for my substance use disorder.”

Michelle adds, “I am so grateful to Pine Street. Anyone can become homeless, but it’s important to never give up.”