In 2016, things were not going well between Savannah Foxx and her husband. Along with their five children, ages 2-12 years, the couple decided to move to Savannah and try to make a new start.
“My name’s Savannah; people always assumed I was from here, so it seemed like a good place to turn over a new leaf,” Foxx said. Unfortunately, things grew worse instead of better and – at a public event with the children – Savannah’s husband physically assaulted her.
Scared for her life, she and her children stayed at a safe shelter for a few days until, after obtaining a restraining order against her husband, they returned home. With just one income, it only took a few months before she could no longer afford the $1,400. rent.
“It was rent or the car payment and I HAD to have my car to get to work,” Savannah explained.
Someone at work told Savannah about Family Promise. She called, but there was a waiting list for emergency shelter. With nowhere else to go wait it out, she parked her car in a church parking lot, where she and her five children slept for over a week. “It was summer and so hot. Sometimes I had suicidal thoughts. Never in a million years did I ever think we would be homeless. But, that’s just it — being homeless isn’t only people begging on streets; it’s working people suddenly going through something. I promised my kids we would never live like this again,” Savannah said.
Getting the call from Family Promise that space was available was “a pivotal moment,” she said. “After everything, I’d pretty much lost my faith and was sort of iffy about staying at churches, but they were awesome! Everyone was so sweet and helpful, never pushy. Actually – they restored my faith.”
Her children were cared for at Family Promise’s Day Center, enabling Savannah to complete the organization’s program and put more money toward a place to live, since childcare was no longer a worry.
“When I had my first month’s rent, they helped me find a three-bedroom house and paid the deposit,” Savannah said.
The family has been there ever since and is maintaining their financial independence. Savannah even felt inspired enough to pursue a new career.
“Without Family Promise, I don’t know where I’d be, physically and spiritually, or if I’d have ever gotten out of that hole,” Savannah said. “When I left, I was so motivated that I went to school and am now a paramedic with Chatham EMS.”
Recently, Savannah responded to a paramedic call where a woman, with five children, had been badly assaulted by her husband.
“I told her I’d been exactly in her shoes and to call Family Promise. They’d helped me, so now I could help her,” she said. “Everybody goes through things, some worse than others. Everything that happened to me led me to the field I’m in today. I’m forever grateful for Family Promise.”