| | | |
Resident Stories
Aeon serves more than 3,000 men, women and children annually. Our 1,706 apartments and townhomes offer affordability to individuals and families earning low to moderate incomes.
.jpg) |
Sal, Alliance Apartments
What would Sal do? For Alliance resident Sal, the answer to that question is found in three of his hallmarks: accountability, honesty and integrity. Now three years sober - "I've taken my life back," Sal says - he is using his vivacious personality and big smile to inspire others as a leader of the Recovery Committee Relapse Prevention Group, a weekly gathering at the Minneapolis Recovery Resource Center.
Sal's own transformation began in 2007, when he moved into the Alliance Apartments, which provides quality affordable housing for 124 formerly homeless adults in a sober community. "That's what's good about Aeon and what they're doing - they don't throw you to the wolves. The last thing they want people to do is end up homeless, because what are you going to do then?"
Now a mentor for others, Sal is quick to mention an important factor in his own journey away from drugs and addiction - home. "I've been homeless before," he says, "and there's nothing like turning your own key and calling it home. It has helped me a great deal."
|
|
|
 |
Fardeen, Alliance Apartments
After being laid off from his job as a welder, Fardeen didn’t know where to go or what to do next. He found drinking to be the only solution to his problems. “The more I drank the more I wanted,” said Fardeen. “Alcohol seemed like the only thing that could fix my problems, but it only made things worse.” This addiction seemed like it was never going to stop. Fardeen realized he needed a change, and he needed to turn his life around. He then found a place at Alliance Apartments, which offers a sober environment for chemically dependent, formerly homeless adults.
“Alliance gave me more than an apartment – it gave me a place I can call home.” Fardeen explained. “This home has given me a sense of safety and community that has helped me get my life back on the right track.” Fardeen now plans to give back to the community and hopes to teach welding in order to pass his experience and knowledge on to others.
|
 |
Edward, Alliance Apartments
“As a young man, I didn’t know any better than to pattern my life around the things I saw: drugs,” Edward explained. He became a drug dealer and eventually went to prison. When he got out, he was determined to separate himself from people and places that would draw him back to his addiction. Edward applied to live at Alliance Apartments, which offers a sober environment for chemically addicted, formerly homeless adults.
“Alliance gave me a safe haven and allowed me to gain confidence in my new walk,” he explained. Today, Edward is in a job training program and spends time mentoring youth whose parents are in prison. “I am trying to give back to the same community I once tore down.”
|
 |
Jama & his family, Chicago Avenue Apartments
Jama says he, his wife and children have prospered in the stability of their three-bedroom apartment home. Abdullhi and his wife, both refugees from Somalia, say it’s the life they hoped for their children.
“Too many people have no home. I am blessed to have affordable housing,” said Jama, adding that his income from working at a rental car company would be stretched without the affordability Chicago Avenue Apartments offers. “We’re having a good life because we can survive.”
|
 |
Tonya & Mary Kate, Ripley Gardens
Tonya re-mortgaged her house to buy a car that would accommodate the scooter she needed for her MS. She never imagined it would lead to becoming homeless. “I lost our home to foreclosure,” she explained. “I felt ashamed, like I should have known better.”
After being approved for a housing subsidy, Tonya and her daughter moved into Ripley Gardens. “Home to us means comfort, safety, a haven, my own little nest,” Tonya said. “Ripley Gardens helped us get to a stable place where we can dream about our future again.” |
 |
Bette, The Lamoreaux
Bette read the piece of paper glued to her front door in shock: the house she rented was in foreclosure due to the delinquency of her landlord. Several days later, the police came to escort her out of the house. She took only what she could carry with her on the bus – and stayed at a homeless shelter until a friend offered her a couch to sleep on.
Bette, 66, found a more permanent living situation at the Lamoreaux in downtown Minneapolis. “I step outside and it’s vibrant and alive – this is where I’m meant to be,” she said. “I feel completely safe here. I feel a connection – this is home.” |
 |
Lita & DuWayne, Cedars Apartments
Lita and DuWayne call their one-bedroom at Cedars Apartments a “safe haven.” After being laid off from his janitorial job of 10 years, the couple lived with family for three years before finding a place they could afford.
Even with affordable rent, their budget is stretched thin. DuWayne works six days a week at a mechanic shop for $7/hour. He’s rarely scheduled for 40 hours a week – making it challenging to afford bus passes, food and medical bills. At times, Lita has gone without her diabetes medication. Despite these challenges, the couple is grateful for their quality apartment. “This is our space. This is our home,” Lita said proudly.
|
|
