{"id":1710,"date":"2022-12-14T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-14T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bowery.org\/updates\/?p=1710"},"modified":"2026-01-08T18:55:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T18:55:54","slug":"irenes-hope-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bowery.org\/updates\/2022\/12\/irenes-hope-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Irene’s hope story: “I am not the same person”"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This season, Irene is thankful for so much \u2014 including you! <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Irene moved to New York City after graduating from art school. She ended up buying a sewing machine because it was something she had loved from childhood. \u201cI started sewing when I was nine years old,\u201d Irene remembers. \u201cI got a sewing machine for Christmas, and I was so excited.\u201d She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and became a certified tailor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, she developed a freelance business in fashion design working out of her home studio. She worked with stylists and created wardrobe items for commercials and celebrity fittings. Irene shares, \u201cWhenever you say ‘fashion design,\u2019 people tend to think of celebrities. But there\u2019s always someone behind the scenes who is actually making the clothes, and that person has to figure out the design, the patterns and the construction. That\u2019s the way my brain works. I’m constantly thinking about how to make things.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy life began to spiral downward\u201d <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 2018, Irene was recovering from a heart attack. \u201cMy freelance work began dwindling rapidly, and I began running out of funds,\u201d she recalls. Eventually, her landlord asked her to leave. She lost her home and her workplace all at once. \u201cMy life began to spiral downward,\u201d she says. \u201cThe next few years, I alternated between staying with friends, living in hotels, staying in a boarding house and staying in shelters. In total, I stayed in 22 different places.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“What people don’t understand is it can happen to you. It can happen to anybody. It’s a job loss, it’s a sudden increase in rent and boom, you’re out.” \u2014 Irene<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re homeless, you\u2019re under an incredible amount of pressure,\u201d Irene shares. Her anxiety rose and her mind would race as she tried to just survive. In a couple of places where she stayed, Irene feared for her safety. \u201cA few shelters were crowded. Others required 5 to 10-hour long waits. I couldn\u2019t find anywhere I could be at peace,\u201d she says. \u201cAt my lowest point, I remember walking around with my suitcase with nowhere to go. I was in a park, and it was getting to be nighttime. I was so scared.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From fear to safety and peace<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When Irene arrived at The Bowery Mission, she found the safety and peace she desperately needed. \u201cI could finally breathe, relax, take a shower and do whatever I needed to do,\u201d she says. Irene appreciated the daily routine, the encouragement of staff members and knowing she had \u201ca clean bed and a caring environment.\u201d She decided to transfer to our Women\u2019s Residential Program. Being in a stable environment gave her the chance to return to her passion. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Irene<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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\u201cAfter such a disorienting chapter, it was a gift to be at the Mission. I was able to bring my sewing machine onsite so I could sew again. It was relaxing to enter back into the realm of design and imagination, of working with different fabrics and patterns. I made my winter coat right there in the chapel.\u201d \u2014 Irene<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Equipped for a brighter future<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was healing to be with other women who understood the experience of homelessness on a personal level,\u201d Irene remembers. \u201cI found myself being lifted out of the downward spiral I had been in for so long.\u201d She felt renewed by times of Bible study and prayer. She says, \u201cI was equipped with the tools for growing in my understanding of emotional health, developing a financial plan and learning addiction triggers. And the staff was so thoughtful and sensitive. I remember times when they would ask, \u2018Is everything OK?\u2019 If I said ‘maybe not’ we\u2019d stop then and there to say a prayer.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A year after joining the Residential Program, Irene graduated. Currently, she is in our Transitional Housing Program, saving money while searching for housing and working on her career. \u201cSewing remains a big part of my life. Most recently, I’ve been making costumes for a children’s program at my church. I would love to find a way to use my talents on some kind of nonprofit level, because I think sewing is such a valuable skill.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Irene<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Irene shares a word of encouragement for others in need: \u201cFor anyone who is considering this Residential Program, I would say do it! Yes, it will be challenging. Yes, there may be times when you\u2019re tempted to give up. But you are never alone in that house \u2014 you can always reach out for help. And if you can just stick with it, you will not be the same person when you walk out.\u201d She also reflects on her own journey:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI am not the same person who walked through these doors. I have become wiser, calmer and more steadfast in faith. I know God led my footsteps to the Mission, and I know He has a plan for my life.\u201d \u2014 Irene<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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