The Stories
Minister and Mom - Tracey
Compassion Shared, Compassion Given
As a minister and mother, Tracey has devoted her life to helping those in need, and she knows first-hand why helping others is so important. Four years ago, she found herself in the midst of a desperate situation, homeless and alone with two young daughters.
Life Before Homelessness
Tracey spent her teenage years dealing with the aftermath of her parents' bitter divorce. When she married and had her own children, she was determined to keep her family together. And to the outside observer, Tracey's life might have seemed ideal. She had a son and two daughters. She served as a pastor at her church, where she enjoyed sharing her faith with members of the congregation. She worked in real estate and the medical field before owning an automotive repair shop with her husband.
But despite her best efforts to have a happy marriage, Tracey was caught in a vicious cycle of domestic violence. She suffered severe physical and emotional abuse for more than 20 years at the hands of her husband. Tired of living in fear and no longer able to endure his increasingly violent and erratic behavior, she knew she had to escape before he killed her. With her son grown and gone, she filed for divorce and began working with a domestic violence program in Alabama. Despite a restraining order and attempts to hide, he continued to find and hurt her.
Tracey knew that she and her daughters wouldn't be safe if they stayed in the same state as her ex-husband. Seeking the safety of anonymity, she chose to make a fresh start in Tampa. Tracey and her daughters fled Alabama with a carload of belongings and $200 provided by the domestic violence program.
Homeless in Tampa
Starting a new life in an unfamiliar city with two young children was daunting and extraordinarily difficult. The anonymity Tracey needed for security also served as a hurdle for survival. At first she was able to afford a motel room, but soon she had to pawn her jewelry and ask friends back home for financial support. All the while, Tracey tried to keep her daughters sheltered from their desperate situation, not wanting them to know they were homeless. During the day, they played in the park while Tracey figured out where they would sleep that night. Sometimes they relied on the generosity of strangers for shelter. Other nights, they weren't so lucky and were forced to sleep in their car.
With no local network of support, Tracey didn’t know where to get help, and finding work seemed impossible. She had no address to put on job applications and no income to pay for a place to live. After several weeks, she was ready to give up all hope of finding a better and safe life when she answered an advertisement for a customer service position. The interviewer indicated Tracey, who has a master’s degree, was overqualified. She begged for the opportunity to make $8 an hour and got the job. Leaving the office building, one of her daughters noticed an apartment for rent across the street. Several faith-based organizations helped Tracey pay the security deposit for the apartment.
Although Tracey and her daughters were no longer homeless, they relied on new friends for daycare and help with food to supplement her income. Tracey considers herself lucky because her family was only on the streets for a month and a half. After getting back on her feet, Tracey began volunteering for a homeless outreach program, something she vowed to do while she and her daughters were homeless.
Life Now
Tracey lives with no regrets and is determined to pass along her words and gestures of hope to those who need it the most. Indeed, enduring the hardships of domestic violence and homelessness have made Tracey a more compassionate minister to the congregation she now leads with her daughters and new husband. They founded and manage a non-profit organization that provides shelter and support services to homeless men and women in Hillsborough County. Located in the Sulphur Springs neighborhood of Tampa, the ministry provides the kinds of programs and services Tracey and her daughters once needed.
