When Tiffany called Community of Hope during one of her hardest moments, the person on the other end of the line did not put her on hold or tell her to call someone else. They asked her to stay on the line while they connected her with support.
“They didn’t even want me to hang up,” she recalled. “I really needed that.”
Eight years after losing her 27-year-old son to gun violence, grief remains part of Tiffany’s everyday life. September, his birthday month, can be especially difficult. When the weight of that loss feels heaviest, she has learned that reaching out matters more than pushing through alone.
That was not always easy to believe. Tiffany had sought help in other places before and walked away feeling unseen. “I’ve been places where they weren’t helpful,” she said. “Just wanted me to come in to sign the papers so it looks like they [had] seen me.” Those experiences made her cautious about asking for help again.
At Community of Hope, something was different. When she reached out for emotional wellness support, someone picked up, stayed on the line, and made sure she got connected to care. That responsiveness became the foundation of her trust in the organization.
“When I got so much on my mind, I can’t focus on anything else,” she said. For Tiffany, addressing her mental health wasn’t separate from everything else she was managing. It was the starting point that made everything else possible. She speaks warmly about her medical provider, whom she calls “Miss Melanie,” who has supported her through ongoing difficulties with her leg mobility and the possibility of surgery.
“I love Miss Melanie,” she said. “She cares for me.”
Through those deepening connections, Community of Hope also learned that Tiffany was dealing with housing instability. That conversation opened a new door and our team is connecting to resources. Continuity of care is happening in real time: one connection leading to the next.
In Tiffany’s story, her challenges are still evolving and she continued to show up for herself. She reaches out even in uncertainty.
When asked what she would tell someone who is struggling but hesitant to ask for help, her answer was simple.
“It’s always good to reach out to somebody,” she said. “I was really hurt. But it’s good to reach out and talk to people…You never know who’s going to help you in the slightest,” she said. “Even if it’s just a little bit.”
