Florida Catholic | Catholic Charities' Transitional Housing

Catholic Charities’ transitional shelter keeps young family afloat

AMY M. FERRARA | FLORIDA CATHOLIC STAFF

Published: 10.05.07

Shawna Goodman, pictured above in her room at Catholic Charities’ St. Barnabas House

Shawna Goodman and her three children moved into Catholic Charities’ St. Barnabas House where she is taking control of her life.
AMY M. FERRARA | FC

PANAMA CITY | Shawna Goodman is a model of a woman with a tall, slim figure, high cheekbones and a blonde bob that cradles her smile like a pair of hands. But to the counselors at Catholic Charities in Panama City, Goodman’s model status reflects only her motivation to maintain a steady lifestyle so that she can be a good mother.

"My kids are the only thing that keep me going," she said.

Catholic Charities is giving Goodman a boost in her life. Lately, she has struggled to raise her 7-year-old daughter and 2- and 3-year-old sons while also maintaining a steady job. But she has persevered. One of her most recent employers promoted Goodman to manager. Shortly thereafter, she sliced her foot open on a piece of glass. Her injury forced her to quit her job so the cut could heal. Because she didn’t have any financial resources, she lost her residence and moved into a hotel room with her children. But her remaining funds lasted only one night. From there, she took her family to the Panama City Rescue Mission. Her foot healed and she pursued yet another job.

While living at the rescue mission, the 26-year-old Panama City resident took the advice of a case manager to contact Catholic Charities for more suitable housing assistance. Goodman met with counselors at the organization and not long after, she and her three children moved into Catholic Charities’ St. Barnabas House, a transitional shelter. At the time that Goodman and her family moved in, St. Barnabas House, which can hold 16 guests at a time, also was home to two other families.

Though she has always tried to provide for her children, she does regret some of the decisions she made in the past. One of those is extensive drug usage.

"One day I looked in the mirror and said, 'What am I doing?'" said Goodman.

She promised to quit and by her own accord, she has been clean for one year. Goodman cringed at the recollection of her past involvement with drugs. It makes her feel sick to her stomach to think about it, she said.

She has also had to overcome depression and anxiety as well as daily roadblocks such as unreliable public buses, her transportation to work.

But her accomplishments are adding up. Her daughter is in school and her two sons are enrolled in day care nearby. Goodman herself will soon meet with a Catholic Charities tutor, who will prepare her for the GED. And her family now has a home. For $10 a day, Goodman lives in the newly renovated St. Barnabas House across the street from the Catholic Charities office. There, she and her family share a room furnished with a double bed and bunk beds, and they have access to a private bathroom. In the house’s family room, they can visit with other St. Barnabas House residents. Though the kitchen is also common space, there are cabinets designated for each family.

Goodman smiled when she mentioned the large backyard. She has already taken up some ground with a 125-gallon wading pool for her children. It was on sale, she added.

"My daughter is more comfortable," said Goodman. "She now has more of a home life."

Sitting across the room from Goodman, Deborah Walton, program coordinator at the Panama City Catholic Charities office, nodded. "I believe in her," she said. "Everything we give her, she does."

Although residents can only stay at St. Barnabas House for a six-month period, long enough for them to try establish a productive routine, Walton noted that there is a chance of an extension for Goodman.

"Everyone has slumps," said Diane Williams, director of the Panama City Catholic Charities office. "There has to be a trigger to change. You need healthy ambitions." She continued to talk about Goodman’s ambition of applying to cosmetology school.

"I want to get in something I enjoy," added Goodman. "I’m very artistic. I love doing stuff with my hands."

She flipped through a folder resting on her lap of printed résumés Catholic Charities had helped her organize.

When her grandmother, the woman who Goodman says raised her, recently passed away, her most recent employer wouldn’t allow her to miss work to attend the funeral. For Goodman, family is priority. She made the decision to quit.

That is, perhaps, another one of her accomplishments on the growing list. Goodman is taking control. And Catholic Charities is helping.

Return to Diocese of Pensacola - Tallahassee Front Page

Catholic Charities’ transitional shelter keeps young family afloat

Other Stories