We have often heard the term "home is where the heart is." It can mean many different things to different people. To a single mother, a home is a place where she can rest her head, know her family is safe and feel at peace. To a child, it's a place to be nurtured and have fun with siblings and other kids. However, you would be surprised by what many families call "home" these days. Here on Long Island, the number of homeless single moms and their children continues to rise. A common factor tends to be the high cost of living and the lack of affordable housing. The current state of the economy is having a significant effect on families who are unable to find work. Sadly, some families are escaping domestic abuse and violence. Many families are instead finding themselves in "shelters, sweet shelters."

If you have never been to a shelter, it's hard to imagine what it might be like. Before going to a Madonna Heights home, the images in my mind were of darkness and sadness. These images would soon take on a very different look. On a beautiful Saturday in June, one of the PROUDgirls on the Move teams from Smithtown spent the afternoon at a Madonna Heights shelter with four families. There were five mothers and their children. Brittany, the project manager for this PROUDgive, described the shelter as "a home of appreciative and happy families." She went on to say that "living in a shelter would be a change of life for me and anyone who has never lived in one, but this particular shelter we visited was made so you can feel like you're at your own home, which was very important to me."

While countless teens hit the beaches on sunny afternoon summers celebrating the end of school, these girls had other plans. Together, the PROUDgirls raised enough money at their garage sale to buy toys, gifts and food for the families who resided there. But with the generosity of Custom Catering, who provided the entire meal for free, the girls were able to spend all their money on games, toys and gifts. The goal was to give these moms a day where they could sit back and enjoy the afternoon as their children played, and boy did PROUDgirls deliver!

Once the PROUDgirls on the Move arrived at the shelter, the children welcomed their new guests with open arms. It's amazing how kids can make a potentially awkward situation easy. As the moms sat back with bright smiles observing their children happily playing in the yard, it occurred to me that the women who live there not only share a bathroom and a kitchen, but also the experience of homelessness -- struggling to make ends meet and supporting each other through the process. That is a bond that will last a lifetime. Nevertheless, the vibe at the home was a positive one. Marissa of Dozen Divas admired their perseverance: "If I had to give the mothers advice, I would tell them anything is possible if you don't give up." Genna, also of PGOM, echoed her sentiments: "Never give up on the dreams you have, because anything is possible."

There was a feeling of hope in the air and a mutual respect amongst the families that lived there. The families we met that day were truly grateful for facilities like Madonna Heights. Such facilities not only provide shelter for single moms and their children, but also the resources that women need to get back on their feet and care for their families once again.

After speaking with one woman who had just moved out of the house, she explained that, "it is all in your attitude. If you want to succeed, you will." She came back to visit the friends she had made at the shelter and to share her inspiring story. She lived there for a year, and with the support of Madonna Heights and the loving and nurturing staff, she was able to find a place of her own and a good, paying job. Together with her two daughters, she had found a way to make it despite the odds that were against her. It was all very clear when I heard her 3-year-old announce as she walked through the fence into the backyard that day, "Mommy, we are home!"

Her mother looked at her and with a big smile said, " Yes we are, Baby."