FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — You’ve heard it said that it takes a village to raise a child.
But for 28-year-old single mother Tasha Joseph, it took a city.
Joseph tearfully recounted the time, back in 2022, when she was homeless.
“It was hard. I had to ask for help, and if the worst happened, at least I tried,” she told Local 10’s Mayte Padron through tears.
With no family support, Joseph and her then-2-year-old daughter, Willow, were living in their car.
A miracle soon followed.
A Delray Beach police officer found them and connected them with a place called CityHouse.
“CityHouse provides hope and renewal to single mothers who are experiencing homelessness in our community and their children,” said Laura Barr, development director at CityHouse.
Since 2014, CityHouse has helped hundreds of mothers like Joseph overcome adversity at its campuses in Delray Beach and Boca Raton.
Last July, Local 10 was invited to the nonprofit’s fourth campus in Fort Lauderdale.
Local 10 recently returned to see the progress of what is now called the Peacock Campus.
Lisa Wanamaker is CityHouse’s executive director.
“To be less than a year in, but to be fully occupied and serving the families that are in our care feels absolutely amazing,” Wanamaker said.
With seven apartments, a therapy room, and on-site staff, the Peacock Campus serves seven mothers and their children.
And for Joseph, her life is now completely different - for a positive reason.
She has moved into her own apartment and is now employed as CityHouse’s assistant development director.
It’s a testament that sometimes all it takes is one stranger’s “yes” to embark on a path filled with promise.
In her role as assistant development director, Joseph has already raised thousands of dollars for CityHouse.
Those funds not only help mothers with living expenses, but also with medical bills, car repairs and education.
CityHouse also plans to open a campus in Miami-Dade County.
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