Peace of Mind at Harmony Village – Kimberly’s Story
As human beings we all strive to find a place of belonging and Kimberly Anthony is no different.
Kimberly is currently a resident at Harmony Village apartments in Yuba City, a place she has been calling home for the past 3 years. However, Kimberly has been a part of the Yuba/Sutter community for much longer than that.
Growing up, Kimberly lived with her parents, though her active military father and distant mother made her feel like she was on her own most of the time. Kimberly began working when she was very young, doing humble tasks such as mowing neighbors’ lawns to “earn her keep”. She always had a hard work ethic, and her job was at the forefront of much of her life, leaving Kimberly little time to make and uphold genuine friendships.
Kimberly’s rocky childhood became even rockier when her father eventually remarried. She recalls several nights where her stepmother would lock her in a closet for days at a time often for reasons that were out of Kimberly’s control. According to Kimberly, her faith in God and dedication to spread his gospel of goodwill are what kept her going through such turmoil.
“Yeah, I had a rough childhood, but some kids had it worse, you know? And that’s how I got through my world” she said.
For some of her adult life, Kimberly found herself residing at an apartment complex in Marysville. At the time, several individuals living at this complex were using illegal substances and Kimberly was very outspoken against their behavior. Consequently, to her surprise, Kimberly came home one day to an empty apartment and an eviction notice on her door.
Three long years Kimberly spent roaming the streets without a place to call home. She faced several obstacles that threatened her life, including an individual who was actively trying to harm her. Despite all of the adversity, Kimberly still managed to see the good in people and actively tried to help those in worse situations than her. Kimberly recalls saving a group of women who were being taken advantage of, along with having several heart-to-heart conversations with people whom she convinced to stop using drugs.
After dedicating so much time to helping others, Kimberly finally found help for herself at the Life Building Center, a facility owned by Habitat for Humanity Yuba/Sutter and operated by Hands of Hope that provides a variety of services such as basic necessities, educational courses, and employment assistance to homeless or homeless-risk individuals. There, Kimberly was able to get the medical attention she needed and met Hayle Snell, a case worker at Habitat for Humanity Yuba/Sutter who helped her get into Casa de Esperanza for rapid needs shelter. From there Supportive Outreach Services, a department within Habitat for Humanity that provides case management and rehousing assistance, saw an immediate need for Kimberly to obtain safe housing and an application was submitted to Habitat for Humanity Yuba/Sutter for her to become a resident at Harmony Village, where her rent would be a set 30% of her income. After eagerly waiting for an update, Kimberly finally got the good news that she was approved for a unit in Harmony Village.
Since moving in, Harmony Village has provided Kimberly with peace of mind and a welcoming community. She enjoys saying “good morning” to the other residents at Harmony Village and feels comfort knowing that she has genuine friends that will check up on her to make sure she is doing well. She honestly feels how much the staff at Harmony Village, her case worker Cindi Lane, and others at Habitat for Humanity Yuba/Sutter care about her well-being and want to help her thrive in her forever home. Needless to say, Kimberly found where she belongs, surrounded by people she now considers family.
Today, Kimberly enjoys giving back to the people who helped transform her life by donating what she can to Habitat for Humanity Yuba/Sutter and buying items from the Habitat ReStore in Marysville. She also hopes to lend a helping hand as a volunteer on future Habitat projects. People like Kimberly are the reason we continue to strive towards affordable housing solutions – to restore people’s lives and help them find their place in our community.
In talking about our organization, Kimberly put it best:
“Without your support they can’t help people like us…without your support, so many more people will suffer…please help support Habitat for Humanity because your donation will save a life, literally!”
