Theresa on Conway

Hey Conway Community.  I’m a Conway resident as well. Some of you already know Theresa.  She’s the gal who always walked Conway road and many of you have wondered who she was.    Where does she walk from, or where to, why does she’s have a suitcase sometimes, and sometimes not?  Does she get off the bus and walk from the bus stop?  That’s what I always asked myself as I would pass by her everyday, until I stopped one day and offered her a ride.  Boy did my life change...I got to meet Theresa!  In 5 minutes I found out that we both have the same name (my full name is Theresa) and that we both found out at later ages that both our parents misspelled our names on our birth certificates by leaving out the the “H”...is that coincidence or what?!  We  both have one child, daughter’s about the same age, and we both have a bad right ankle.  So with that meeting, our friendship began over a year ago.  She’s a kind woman who used to always walk from Curry Ford to Hoffner daily to go to work at Wendy’s.   Theresa is always upbeat, an uplifting person...she inspires me...and she is HOMELESS.   She’s a Boone graduate, born and raised in Conway. She’s worked at Wendy’s for 18 years. She’s walked to and from work every day for 5 years.  She hit bad times 5 years ago financially and ended up homeless.  She kept her job however and worked daily regardless of where she ended up sleeping at night. Some places were really rough.  She  offered to clean my State  Farm office on Michigan for me, to earn grocery money,  and I gladly hired her.   She walked to my office and I dropped her off at “home” where ever that was each night at the time.   She never asked for any handout, she’s a hard working woman.  You haven’t seen her walking for a while though, because she fell and broke her femur bone over thanksgiving.  She called 911 and went to the hospital for emergency surgery.  She  struggled and worked hard to recover without having any home to rest or rehab in.  What perseverance.  She knew she had to get back to work.  A couple of weeks after her surgery, she and I went to get her and her daughter FL ID’s so they had legal Identification.  I’ve been helping her get back on her feet here lately.  We’ve attempted homeless shelters and other options but her transportation issues (has to walk everywhere) and her need for familiar territory keeps her near Conway for all purposes, like her job and her safety.  We’ve secured her a place at Home Suite Home on 50 and Primrose.  The bus runs directly from there to CVS on Conway right near Wendy’s.  She’s back to work now thank goodness!  They rent a room weekly.  She has used up her tax return $ and some back child support we found for her and her daughter.    My bible study group has helped with some financial support to her also.  Now with the Covid-19 crisis, her hours have been cut back some.  Her daughter is looking for a job, but this is a tough time when people are being laid off and not hiring.   The motel weekly payment is $280 total.  It has a refrigerator and microwave.  They are so grateful to have security and a bed.  The motel charges by the week and will let any one pay it in advance up to 2 weeks in advance. I paid for a week of rent last week for them.  Her funds are running low with her hours cut back and she’s about 2 weeks away from being homeless again.  Their goal was to have both of them working by now and to save money to put a deposit on an apartment on Conway Road somewhere.  They are having a set back.  If you feel like supporting a long time Conway resident who’s in need right now,  she and her daughter are definitely worthy of the support and the investment!  She’s hard working woman and never gives up. Run through Wendy’s and say hello at the drive through.  I know I’m a better person having met Theresa.   She’s the  “Theresa on Conway”.