A New Home After 17 Years

If you knocked on Jacqueline’s door today, she would open it with her warm voice, a big smile, and a lifetime of stories to share—but it hasn’t always been this way. At 58, Jacqueline has been housed and working toward a stronger future with the help of FACETS since 2016. But for 17 long years, Jacqueline was living on the streets of Centreville, moving from tent to tent, and shelter to shelter, and struggling each day to meet even the most basic of necessities.

Jacqueline is the definition of a survivor. At one point, she stayed in a makeshift shelter built of tree branches and brushed her teeth at the park. Years of trauma, battling substance abuse, and mental illness made it difficult to trust the people around her.

This is where FACETS steps in. Though Jacqueline was housed in 2016, that was just the first step in the journey to safety and stability. FACETS Case Managers regularly take to the streets in search of those who desperately need a helping hand. Case Managers connect those who need it most with emergency shelter, basic needs assistance, and other life-saving resources. The FACETS Permanent Supportive Housing program, or PSH, is a program that provides supportive, long-term housing and individualized case management for our neighbors experiencing chronic homelessness due to complex issues.

When Jacqueline began receiving help from the PSH team, she would not even let her case manager into her new apartment. Says Jacqueline, “I used to refuse that help. But you know what, I really love them and I learned to respect them and open my door for them.”

Now, Jacqueline is all smiles as she works toward a happier and stronger future. The PSH team helps Jacqueline maintain her sobriety and mental health by ensuring she has a safe place to stay, food and other basic needs, access to her medication, transportation to appointments, and so much more. “FACETS will help you through anything. They will not let you down when you’re going through mental health issues. They put everything into helping people. They showed me that somebody else loved me, so I could love me.”

For 35 years, FACETS has been a lifeline to people across Fairfax County who struggle with homelessness, hunger, and poverty. With generous community investment, our doors are always open to the most vulnerable individuals and families. From our humble volunteer beginnings of serving 25 hot meals a day to today’s outreach to people living in cars, encampments in the woods, and other unsafe conditions, FACETS is honored to be able to help our neighbors with continuum of care support when they need it most.

“I’ve been through a tough journey. Thankfully I made it. There are people like me who are suffering in the streets right now who need help.” said Jacqueline.

By supporting our mission, you are investing in a compassionate and highly skilled team working hard to break the cycle of homelessness, poverty, and food insecurity. Thank you for joining us to build stronger futures.