The Hardest No

The apartment looked great, and Davyd could hardly wait to tell his team at Catholic Charities about it. He had been without a place of his own for almost a year, which had led to losing custody of his sons.

We worked with him to sort out emotional trauma and learn important life skills.

We had told him that once he was able to demonstrate steady, reliable employment, we would help him with basic furnishings and with the initial apartment deposit before he took over the complete rental agreement.

The new place was clean, had enough room for his two boys and was in a safe area.

He wanted us to agree that the new place was perfect to launch his future.

Our response was the hardest no.

He was right. The apartment was great, but there was a problem. Monthly rent would have consumed 60% of his income, which simply wasn’t sustainable – not for Davyd, not for most of us.

Worse, the potential of missing payments would have led to credit damage, established a history of non-payment and possible eviction – rough obstacles to overcome.

At Catholic Charites we help foster sustainable solutions. That means we provide the tools, the resources and the encouragement for those who come to us to build strength even as they build hope. Quick fixes are the easy way out. We’re here to liberate people from cyclical poverty. It’s hard work, but it’s the work that lasts.

That means when you make a donation, you can be confident that your hard-earned resources support those who agree that stability takes time.

Today, Davyd is in a new apartment – smaller and slightly older than his first choice, but he can afford the rent on his current income. He is safe, and his boys can meet him there on supervised visits. He feels a peace he hasn’t known in a long time and feels confident he is developing the tools to keep growing and moving up.