January 2026 Newsletter

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Needed A Safe Place

Tracy camped in a permitted campsite of ten tents for four months. It was fenced and screened from public view. She said that alcohol and drugs were present.

She camped with her boyfriend. Tracy said, “He was verbally, mentally, and emotionally abusive, and no one there tried to stop it. I was broken. It was depressing. I wanted out, but I didn’t know how to get out of camp.” For a lack of information, she did not know her options. There were no casework services at the camp. Finally, she left because of the abuse and went to Samaritan Inn.

For 15 years, Tracy worked as a caregiver, then for another five years she cared for her husband. She said, “He became abusive, so I left.”

For a few years, she worked at a restaurant and rented a trailer on her parent’s property. She became disillusioned with the mundane job, so she quit and took classes to go back to caregiving.

There were arguments with her parents about not paying rent. She became homeless and drank. Tracy said, “I felt like I was abandoned by God in camp. After being at Samaritan Inn, I realized that God was with me all the time. I’m getting closer to God and understanding the Bible more. Now, I know I’m worth something to someone, worthy of being loved.”

She is doing well in her sobriety and working on returning to her career as a caregiver.