"That Bus Saved My Life"

When Miss Jones stepped off a Greyhound bus in Orlando in early 2023, she carried four suitcases and traveled with her small dog. She had come from Jacksonville hoping to stay with her sister, only to learn that her sister’s transitional living program could not accommodate her.

“That was the day I became homeless,” said Miss Jones.

Over the next two and a half years, she lost nearly everything. Her dog was stolen, along with her belongings, wallet, and money. She slept under an overpass and on sidewalks, endured serious health issues, and at one point spent months in the hospital. At her lowest point, she considered stepping in front of a bus.

A man Miss Jones met on the street eventually encouraged her to visit the Christian Service Center. She came to the campus, where she began receiving meals and accessing services such as showers and laundry. Eventually, she began working with a case manager from our on-site partners, the HOPE Team, who were helping her pursue permanent supportive housing. Then she noticed the two 407 Connect shelter buses parked on CSC’s campus.

“I started asking people, ‘How do I get on this bus?’” she recalled.

Miss Jones met Jaylyn, our 407 Connect Program Manager, who connected her with Erik Perez, CSC’s on-site attorney through our partnership with Community Legal Services, to explore whether she could qualify for Supplemental Security Income. Seeing how Miss Jones was struggling without a safe place to sleep, Jaylyn also offered her a bed on the bus.

Within days of moving onto the bus, Miss Jones received two life-changing approvals: permanent supportive housing and Supplemental Security Income.

“I went from staying out on that street for two and a half years, being robbed, being sick all the time, to that bus,” she said. “That bus saved my life.”

Miss Jones moved into her apartment on April 20 after one month of staying on the 407 Connect bus. Adjusting to life indoors has taken time, but having a home has allowed her to attend medical appointments and experience something she had gone years without: peace and quiet.

“My chest swells up with pride because I finally have a place to go that is mine,” she said with tears in her eyes. “After two and a half years of living out on the street, shoulder to shoulder with other people, I am happy to be alone in my own space.”

Miss Jones is one of 649 people CSC has helped move into permanent housing this year. That work includes helping guests on the 407 Connect buses, rapidly rehousing people by covering move-in costs, providing transportation so people can reunite with family or friends in another city, and helping Veterans and their families secure housing through our Supportive Services for Veteran Families program.

These pathways may look different for every person, but each is made possible by those who support our work here at the Christian Service Center and believe that everyone deserves a safe place to call home.