Testimonials

Shopping Cart

Your Cart is Empty

Quantity:

Subtotal

Taxes

Shipping

Total

My name is CJ and I am writing to thank Nicole’s House of Hope for being there for me when I needed them the most. A few months ago I had a mental breakdown and because of it, I went from having a professional job and career to not being able to work or care for myself. I found myself on the streets of Atlanta without a nickel in my pocket. I had never been homeless before.

I had no understanding of how to survive living on the streets. It was horrible.

I was always scared, depressed and lost 42 pounds. My medication was stolen from an overnight shelter I was sleeping at. I passed out on the streets and was taken to the psychiatrist ward of the Grady hospital.

Grady referred me to Nicole’s House of Hope. The staff was patient and always made me feel as they really cared about my well-being and safety. When I arrived I was in bad mental and emotional shape. I felt hopeless and knew my life was at an end. From the first day the staff made me feel like they really cared about me. They were so patient, understanding and supportive. I got counseling, enough time to heal and become mentally stable enough to get back in the workforce.

Today I have a job, a car and a place of my own. I have hope that my future will be good and I will not be homeless again. In my experience, Nicole’s House of Hope provides an essential service to our community, one I will be eternally grateful for.

- CJ

This is Randy Taylor and I am so thankful for Nicole’s House of Hope. I became homeless when my marriage broke up. We had taken out a mortgage and the interest rates went up substantially. I became overburdened when my marriage ended. I had lost the income support of my wife and I also lost my job.

I was falling deeper into debt. I didn’t know it at the time but I was having a mental breakdown. I couldn’t cope with nothing and begin to drink too much. I quit my job because I didn’t like the way they was running things. My house was repossessed because I couldn’t pay the mortgage. More than that, my will was gone. Because I was getting hit with so many things at one time I lost the ability to think clearly. I begin drinking more and more to try to fix my pain. I was fighting with myself constantly.

Depression drained my energy, made it almost impossible for me to get up in the morning and put together a rational plan.

I started off staying with friends and for over a year I moved from place to place. Eventually, none of my friends wanted to be around me anymore. I stayed angry and drunk all the time. I was diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia spectrum disorder. The last time I went to jail I was homeless and had nowhere to go. I was referred to Nicole’s House of Hope.

Nicole’s House of Hope gave me another chance at life. I am so grateful for all the people involved with the ins and outs of their program. These people strengthen me to cope with life again. They helped me to self-evaluate and figure out the key to my problems (MYSELF). Now I have a positive outlook on life and myself.

- Randy Taylor

Nicole’s House of Hope Program (although it feels more like a family than a program) saved my life. I had been homeless for nearly two years after becoming addicted to the medication I was taking for my anxiety disorder and bipolar disorder. My addiction turned to using crack cocaine and once that happen I stopped taking my medication and only used drugs.

The sad part about all of this is that my family wouldn’t help me at all. I had to resort to sleeping outside, on park benches and slides at the park. I would shoplift and steal food and do anything to survive. I spent all the money I got on drugs and booze. I got arrested a lot.

When I came to Nicole’s House of Hope I felt like I Had nothing. I felt suicidal and thought I had nothing to live for. I felt my life was lonely and worthless. I felt there was no point for my life at all. They gave me a life I hadn’t been able to enjoy in a long time. I was so happy to have a bed to sleep in, food in my stomach and people to talk to who really cared about me. Living there showed me a lot, like there are more people than just me that understand the things I have been through. They helped me with everything, to find a place and meet new people. Today I am happy. I thought I would never be happy again.

- DM