“It’s been a long journey.”
Janet speaks with quiet strength as she looks back. Life had pushed her to the brink—living off just $370 a month. She managed to find an apartment in Butler for $275, but when the rent was raised, it cost her everything.
“I was losing… Terry, myself, and my dog.”
For a while, they lived on the streets—sleeping on park benches, picnic tables, even in a tent. “It was all scary,” Janet said. “Just being out in the open all hours of the night. Not knowing if I’m going to wake up the next morning.”
Catholic Charities offered two vouchers for the warming center. Janet went in. Terry and their dog, Goober, curled up on the doorstep of Catholic Charities.
And that’s when everything began to turn.
“When Amber came in that next morning and seen him there… that was when it took. She was determined to get us up off the street.”
Amber’s determination turned into action—and it was transformative. Janet moved into a place of her own. She learned how to budget her money. She got a job.
“I work at KFC as a cashier. And it means the world to me. And I still have my dog.”
There’s a gravity to the way Janet reflects on it: the fear, the struggle, and now the stability.
“Have faith. And keep pushing forward. Don’t let nothing get you down. I wouldn’t want to go through it again… but I know Catholic Charities won’t let it happen again.”