‘God bless Turning Points,’ says single mom who was facing eviction from her apartment
Nidia Rosales had always been able to provide for herself and her two daughters, ages 17 and 10.
She is a 38-year-old self-employed entrepreneur who has sold Herbalife products for the past 10 years.
With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, sales stopped for more than a month because of the state order closing retail operations. Even after the quarantine was lifted, months passed with few sales, and no income to pay bills.
Rosales worried whether she and her girls would be able to stay in their duplex. If they were evicted, where would they go? A friend suggested that she contact Turning Points, which helps not only the homeless, but those in danger of becoming homeless.
“I called first and they told me what I needed for my application,” she said.
She began working with Andy Guyre, housing program manager, who was able to help her with four months of rent and her electric bill.
“God bless Turning Points,” she said of the relief that she felt. She also appreciated the follow up from Guyre who checks back with her regularly to make sure she is doing better.
Turning Points and other nonprofits that assist the homeless, and those at risk of becoming homeless, have been swamped with renters like Rosales, seeking assistance to avoid eviction. A Florida moratorium on evictions, implemented to help workers who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, expired Sept. 30. Since then, the courts have seen a surge in eviction filings.
With the help from Turning Points, and with sales once again picking up, Rosales says she believes she will now be able to get back on her feet.
“Landlords still want their money. It’s a relief to know that we will have a roof over out heads,” she said. ”I appreciate Andy. He helped a lot.”
This week, Turning Points marked its 25th anniversary. The nonprofit is located at 701 17th Ave. W., in the Bill Galvano Center, named after the for state lawmaker from Bradenton who helped secure funding for the center.
Jacki Love, a former client of Turning Points, talked about how she and her husband were evicted from their apartment and became homeless after her husband lost his carpentry job. For a while, they lived out of a two-person tent near the Tropicana plant.
Love recalled the depression that enveloped her. “You don’t feel good about yourself,” she said.
Her life began to turn around after she reached out to Turning Points.
“When I came here, I got so much love, respect, and a shower. I got to wash my clothes. These people really care,” Love said.
On Super Bowl Sunday of 2010, Love found out she was pregnant. With Turning Point’s help, she found first one job and then two. Turning Points also helped her get an apartment, as well as paying for four months rent and the electric bill.
Two year ago, Love’s family moved into a four-bedroom, two-bath house, and now she volunteers to help others at Turning Points.
“My son loves to come with me to help,” she said.
Kathleen Cramer, who became the executive director of Turning Points in June after Adell Erozer retired, announced two new initiatives on Tuesday:
▪ The “Be the Key Society” is a multi-year giving society where donors will pledge to contribute at least $1,000 on an annual basis for five years to earn the “Be the Key Society” recognition. Funds raised through this initiative will be for unrestricted use in support of programs like the Housing and Utility Assistance Program, which provides rent and utility assistance for individuals struggling with homeless issues and for operation and administrative budgets.
▪ “One Turn of the Wheel is a Revolution” will offer pledge levels as low as $25 per month that fund essential service like the Turning Points Day Resource Center. “One Turn of the Wheel” will highlight the many ways that access to transportation and other services fuels personal empowerment.
Turning Points was founded in 1995 as he Community Coalition on Homelessness. It’s initial mission included providing rental assistance.
The pandemic has made Turning Points a stronger, more resilient operation. “It pulled us all together, and we did not have to shut down for one day during the pandemic,” Cramer said. “None of this would be possible without the generous financial support of the community.”
Galvano, the outgoing president of the Florida Senate, also attended Tuesday’s ceremony marking Turning Points’ 25th anniversary.
Galvano said he will continue to be an advocate for Turning Points, and that he hopes that it continues to grow and expand until its services are no longer needed.
For more information visit https://tpmanatee.org/.
This story was originally published December 4, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
