Crystal's Story

Before coming to New Visions, Crystal had been homeless for nearly 7 years. Sleeping in abandoned houses, tents, and in the woods around Council Bluffs, Crystal knew she needed to get out. Once she connected with our team at New Visions, Crystal began to gain traction and understand that she could have a better life. “Dasiti helped me to realize that I was not meant to live in the woods,” she says, “she helped me to see that I deserve housing. I had never thought about it like that before, it was a big step for me to believe in myself enough to get out.” Crystal worked hard to overcome many barriers to housing, but she knows she couldn’t have done it alone. “Destyni pushed me to get to where I'm at now. She just wanted success for me and kept checking up with me,” says Crystal. Crystal also credits Oscar at Together, Inc for advocating for her and working with her on her transition into housing.

Prior to homelessness, Crystal had a family fall-out, and her own dad was also very sick. The tension within her family became unbearable. But despite the tension and difficulties, Crystal's family continued encouraging her. "I'm so thankful for my sisters, my mom, my daughter," says Crystal, "if I didn't have them, I'd still be out in the woods."

Now that Crystal has achieved housing, she’s looking forward to working on those relationships and seeing her grandbabies. “I look forward to being able to decorate my house with pictures of my grandbabies,” she says, “and doing things like keeping the house clean and sitting out front on my porch.”

Sometimes it truly is “the little things” – keeping a house, putting up photos, sitting on a front porch, and all the while finally feeling safe and stable enough to work on the relationships that matter most. Crystal, we are proud to be a part of your story and proud of YOU! We hope to see you enjoying that front porch and your family for many years to come.