Glenna’s apartment is filled with framed family photos, thriving plants, and color that matches her vibrant personality. Now 66 years old, Glenna has experienced and survived more than many could imagine.
Prior to connecting with Community Advocates and Autumn West’s Project Bridge, Glenna had been living in Green Bay. Due to mental and physical health diagnosis, she became reliant on her social security to support her. At the time, however, she was in a relationship with a man who had physical and financial control over her. She decided she had enough, took the first step toward a better life, and moved back to Milwaukee, but it wasn’t easy.
Previous evictions and misdemeanors made it short of impossible for her to secure housing. Glenna spent her nights sleeping in a tent in an encampment of roughly 15 people outside the Milwaukee County Courthouse. At a time of feeling no one cared, and not knowing what would come next, Glenna was unaware of the resource that would soon present itself. The Homeless Outreach Program team at Autumn West connected with Glenna one morning when it was still dark outside. Glenna remembers the flashlight as she unzipped her tent. Her prayers had been answered; there stood people who weren’t going to turn against her.
"I Had My Own Key to the Door and That Was Beautiful"
In 2023, Glenna was one of 36 individuals who received stable shelter while working to secure permanent housing. When she first held the key to her Autumn West apartment, describing the feeling of having a door to protect her from the rest of the world, she was overcome with emotion. “I had my own key to the door and that was beautiful,” she said. This allowed Glenna to begin feeling better about herself. Through holding onto hope, overcoming a period of time where it seemed like the whole world had turned against, her, she found the right people and the right places to go for help. She was consistently reassured that it would be alright; and indeed, everything began falling into place.
The next step for Glenna was to find a permanent place to call her own. Autumn West helped Glenna furnish the apartment, accompanying her possessions that had been sitting in storage. Glenna has created a space for herself allowing her to feel safe, independent, and supported. Transitioning from supportive housing to permanent housing, Glenna continuously expressed the utmost gratitude and appreciation for the dedicated team at Autumn West and Project Bridge. Now, Glenna makes a conscious effort to talk to people she sees who are unhoused and tries to tell them that it will be alright. She’s proof that it’s possible.
Glenna provided a final remark, saying, “If help comes to you, all I can do is ask you please take it, so you can better yourself and get out of whatever situation you’re in. You may be being battered, or just homeless, or an alcoholic or even a drug user. There’s a better way. If help comes to you, please accept it, so that things will grow for you – just like my plants.” With support, faith, and a place to call her own, Glenna now sees a future for herself that she didn’t think possible. Thanks to the empathy of others and the perseverance of her own, Glenna is now home.
Click here for more information on Community Advocates Homeless Outreach and Supportive Housing Programs.
