Melvin Hager is the proud father of 11-year-old triplets – Christian, Faith and Hope. Whenever they are all together, their sense of humor and unconditional love for each other is undeniable and infectious. With so much happiness and positivity shared between them, you would have never thought that they had struggled with homelessness.
The Hager’s arrived at our Pratt House permanent supportive housing program in Baltimore in 2021 after spending several months in a shelter. Thanks to givers of hope like you who support the program, Pratt House offers 35 apartments and onsite health and human services to families with children who are experiencing homelessness. While most of the families we serve are led by single mothers, we are proud to be one of the few programs that also supports single fathers like Melvin.
Melvin became a single father after making the tough decision to separate from the mother of his children. When Christian, Hope and Faith were toddlers, their mother was struggling with addiction. Her behavior became unpredictable and put the children at risk.
“With deciding to separate with the kids’ mother, it was more about safety for the kids really because of the drugs and alcohol. She was neglecting them. So, I had to ask her leave the situation. It wasn’t a pretty situation. But she ended up leaving and basically never looked back.” – Melvin
Although the healthiest decision he could have ever made for his children, Melvin was now faced with the challenge of navigating employment while raising his young children. Unable to afford childcare, he ultimately became unemployed and the family ended up in the shelter system.
After several months, the Hager Family was referred to Pratt House where they receive more than just a place to call home.
“They [Pratt House] have weekend things that they do for them. Every Thursday they have ‘Thankful Thursday’ programs. They have the financial literacy. They’re in therapy, which comes here every weekend for them, which is good because of what they’ve been through.” – Melvin
Thanks to you and the Pratt House program, the Hager Family can finally exhale and have the comfort, support and space to grow as a family and address past traumas. Through the program, Melvin was connected to a culinary arts school where he has been studying to become a chef. And he is looking forward to the financial stability that will bring him and the kids.