Regina

Regina was raised in North Carolina with eight siblings. After high school she got a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Social Work from Elizabeth City State University, then moved to Virginia, got married and had a son, now 27. She got a job at Walmart, but separated from her husband in 2007 and moved back to Elizabeth City with her parents.

When they passed away in 2014, just two months apart, she moved back to Virginia transferring her job to a Walmart in Norfolk where she still works today. “After my parents passed away, I moved in with a family member who lost her job and home. All my other sisters and brothers lived out of state and wouldn’t help. I stayed in a hotel for nine days until a bed opened up at the Mission.

“I had nowhere else to go. This was my first time in a shelter and I was scared and didn’t know what to think, but everybody made me feel welcome and comfortable. My nervousness went away. They gave me a place to sleep, gave me food, and clothing. Now they are helping me get housing. I’m very thankful for that. I’ve learned a lot more about God through the Bible studies. They tell us to trust in Him and that’s what I’m doing. I’m glad I came here. I’ll be okay. I have a long term job and I’m on the right track. If it wasn’t for the Mission, I don’t know where I’d be.”