She Lost Her Job and Her Home, But This Family Camp Mom Did Not Give Up

Rewind to 2014, where Lewis can be found standing behind a table in the hot parking lot of her apartment complex.

The items for sale: clothes, an ironing board, a king-size bed, a washer and dryer, matching lamps with matching side tables, a desk chair, and other everyday household items in plastic storage bins. Items Lewis was willing to sell in an attempt to keep her apartment.

Lewis never imagined she’d find herself fighting to pay rent—and losing that fight.

Just two years prior, Lewis had accepted a job promotion that relocated her and her daughter, Emmaly, to Texas from their home state of Mississippi.

“Emmaly’s dad died when she was young. Being a single parent, I wanted to grow in my career and make sure I could take care of us financially,” said Lewis. With a bachelor’s degree in health record administration, she had spent the previous 14 years building a career in healthcare.

“It was important I found an advancement opportunity within the same field and wasn’t starting over,” said Lewis. “I didn’t want to be accruing sick leave or vacation days from scratch.”

But what happened following their move to San Antonio could not have taken Lewis farther from her goals.

According to Lewis, she was wrongfully terminated and “lost everything.” She has since filed a lawsuit for lost wages and retirement but can’t say much about it because the case—years later—is still pending.

After losing her employment, Lewis went to numerous job interviews, but she was never chosen for a full-time position.

“When they look at that employment record and see ‘removed from her position,’ they automatically view me as the villain,” said Lewis.

When she could no longer pay rent, Lewis and her daughter were evicted from their apartment. “My mother was worried crazy about us, but I assured her we were fine. I didn’t want to leave [Texas] while waiting for the outcome of my case, but I had no idea just how long that process would take.”

“And that’s when the Homelessness began.”

Initially, Lewis and Emmaly landed at Salvation Army and bounced around a few different shelters. In 2016, they moved into the Transitional Living and Learning Center (TLLC) with SAMMinistries, an interfaith ministry whose mission is to help those experiencing homelessness attain self-sufficiency.

“SAMMinistries was the best experience we had being homeless,” said Lewis. “They are such a great organization.”

Their accommodations included a private living space, bathroom, and bunk beds. Lewis said the arrangement was ultimately good for them, but the transitional living did come with its challenges.

“The walls were paper thin. It could be very loud at times,” said Lewis. “Emmaly was in band at school, and she had to practice playing her flute outside in the parking lot.”

The biggest benefit she saw in staying at the TLLC was the consistency it allowed for Emmaly, who was entering the sixth grade. “She was able to stay in the same school district, the Judson Independent School District,” said Lewis. 
“Emmaly was already dealing with enough, and I didn’t want her to have even more change in her life.”

Another constant that SAMMinistries afforded Emmaly was Girl Scouts. She had been part of an age-specific troop before being evicted from their home, and after arriving at the TLLC, she joined the troop that met in the downstairs community center.

Emmaly’s new troop was made up of girls of all ages. Lewis said her daughter adapted and grew to love her weekly time with the girls and enjoyed the arts and crafts projects. That year, their small Christmas tree was decorated with ornaments Emmaly made in Girl Scouts.

According to SAMMinistries’ chief operating officer, Gay Lynn Schwenk, a lack of social opportunities, like Girl Scouts, is one of the biggest contributing factors of isolation for both kids and adults who experience homelessness. “Isolation has such a major impact on mental health,” said Schwenk.

SAMMinistries works to provide their residents with socialization activities such as family art, reading groups, or movie and game nights. Once a week, you’ll even find kids from various families sitting together in the communal space sharing giggles over Saturday morning cartoons. “We want the families to develop, or get back, a sense of normalcy—
a sense of community—in their lives,” said Schwenk.

A sense of community is one of the reasons SAMMinistries partners with the H. E. Butt Foundation’s Laity Lodge Family Camp every year to host a retreat for those living at the TLLC. Unlike Foundation Camp retreats, this is a fully programmed retreat with Family Camp covering food, activities, and Roundup speakers.

Persevering with Purpose

In June of 2019, Lewis and Emmaly’s allotted time with Haven for Hope ran out. With no ending in sight for Lewis’s court case and her elderly mother now in need of closer care, she decided it was finally time to move back to Mississippi. Today, Lewis is her mother’s primary caregiver and volunteers at a local Baptist center organizing the donation room.

After seeing her mom’s journey and watching her navigate the legal system with her court case, even learning to write briefs, Emmaly is interested in pursuing law and becoming an attorney. She’s currently a history major at the University of Mississippi, where she reaps the benefits of those parking lot practices, now playing the flute for the Ole Miss band.

“I just love her spirit and resilience despite everything we’ve gone through … and this girl wants to talk about it!” laughed Lewis. “She’s the one who wants to go back to Family Camp and share our journey with people who are currently experiencing something we’ve experienced. We have a story to tell.
 

Beth Avila