Village Voice - December,
2005
NO ROOM IN THE
We’ve all grown up
with the Christmas story of how
Joseph and Mary had nowhere to stay when it came time for Mary to give
birth. At a very vulnerable time in her
life, Mary had to depend on the protection and ability of Joseph.
Eventually a
shelter was found for them out of the elements and the rest, as they
say, is
history.
While this took place
over two thousand years ago,
similar stories happen every day in our own community.
Here is one of them.
A DC mom in Northeast
found herself pregnant with
her second child in January.
During her first
pregnancy five years ago, her
husband physically abused her. A few
weeks after their son was born, he kicked her out of the house and kept
the
baby. As happens with many domestic
violence situations, she eventually moved back in with him to be with
her
baby.
Early this summer, she
found herself kicked out on
the streets once again. Since her husband was “only” verbally abusive
at this
time, she did not fit the criteria for domestic violence shelters.
There was no
stable to rescue her, no protective husband to advocate, find shelter
for her
and protect her.
So Tammy* (not her
real name) walked in the door
of the Healthy Babies Project seeking comfort, support and a shoulder
to lean
on. One of the counselors began working
with her to help with her depression.
The community health nurse helped her call transitional housing
resources from the list Tammy printed out at the library’s computer.
Everywhere she called,
the answer
was the same: “Sorry, we have no room available.” Some
took only teen mothers. Others took only
substance-abusing women, or
she could only sleep there at night. She
was informed by the DC Housing Authority that she needn’t apply for
emergency
housing until places had been found for the Hurricane Katrina victims
that had
been relocated to this area.
Desperate in her
advancing
pregnancy, and with nowhere else to go, she moved back in with her
husband.
Healthy Babies staff
provided her
with the baby supplies and clothes her husband refused to get for her. The nurse provided her with health education,
children’s books to read to her baby and constant emotional support.
In October, Tammy
delivered a
full term healthy baby boy. Over the
last few months of her pregnancy, Tammy’s husband began listening to
his family
about his responsibilities as a husband and father.
He is struggling with trying to do the right
thing for Tammy and their two sons.
This is no modern-day
Joseph and
Mary, but it is a modern-day story of birth, struggle and vulnerability
in a
family close to home. It is also a
modern-day story of how we, as a church family, can be the star in the
sky
shedding light where there is darkness and hope where there is despair.
We can
be the angels that announce the great mystery of Christ’s birth through
our prayers,
concern and sharing of our own bounty.
There are many more
like Tammy
searching for room in the inn, a light in the dark. Remember them as
you
prepare for the blessing of Christmas.
--Mary
Brewster