One Final Step Home for Sameshia

Shared Response That Helped Bring One Family Home

For Sameshia, stable housing had once seemed within reach before circumstances beyond her control changed everything.

Sameshia, 34, is a mother of five children, ages 13, 11, 9, 6, and 3, with another baby expected in December. She had been working as a pharmacy technician, a career she genuinely enjoys, while doing everything she could to provide stability for her family.

Last November, Sameshia moved into a home using her Section 8 voucher with the understanding that another organization would assist with the required security deposit. When that funding unexpectedly fell through, she was unable to cover the deposit on her own and was eventually evicted in April.

In the months that followed, Sameshia and her children stayed in hotels and, at times, lived out of their vehicle. The instability also contributed to the loss of her job. Family, friends, and her case manager helped where they could, but those resources eventually became exhausted.

Then came encouraging news.

Sameshia was approved for a home in Riverview. Her Section 8 voucher would cover her monthly rent and water, giving her family a real pathway toward stability and allowing her to begin rebuilding.

But one major obstacle remained: the security deposit.

Love INC shared the need with its church network, and The Church at Channelside, Hyde Park United Methodist Church, and Messiah Lutheran Church responded with financial support. Together with Sameshia’s own $500 contribution, Love INC coordinated the assistance needed to meet the $2,000 move-in cost and help her family take the final step toward stable housing.

Along the way, Sacred Heart Catholic Church also supported the family with backpacks and school supplies during the back-to-school season.

No one church had to carry the entire need.

Instead, four churches each brought what they could, demonstrating the power of the body of Christ working together.

Their generosity represented more than financial assistance. It was an expression of Redemptive Compassion® — responding to an immediate need while preserving dignity, strengthening hope, and helping create a pathway toward greater stability.

The impact was deeply personal for Sameshia.

“Because of your kindness, compassion, and dedication, I am able to move into my new home tomorrow.”

She also shared that the support helped make an overwhelming process feel easier and, even more importantly, strengthened her faith.

“This is more than financial assistance—it is a reminder that God provides and that there are still people who genuinely care.”

Sameshia also expressed her hope that one day she can give back and bless someone else in the same way she was blessed.

For her family, this home represents far more than an address. It means stability for her children, relief from the uncertainty of moving from place to place, and a foundation from which she can continue rebuilding.

Sometimes, a family does not need someone to solve every challenge.

Sometimes, they simply need help removing the one final barrier standing between where they are and where they are trying to go.

And in Sameshia’s case, four churches came together to help make that final step home possible.

This is Love INC in action — churches working together, responding with compassion, and helping neighbors move toward lasting stability.