(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Last year at this time, Kimberly Gross and her two daughters Destiny, 11, and Petrina Westman, 15, were being evicted and would return to the shelter. Kimberly, who has health issues that prevent her from working, is slowly trying to get to a better place now living in Palmer Court, permanent supportive housing.
The new year looks a little brighter for Kimberly Gross and her two daughters.
Last year at this time they were being evicted from a Taylorsville duplex — a rental they found through Rapid Rehousing, a federal program administered here by The Road Home. It offers a deposit and three months’ rent.
Now, Kimberly, 47, Petrina, 15, and Destiny Westman, 11, are living in an apartment at Palmer Court in Salt Lake City in what is called permanent supportive housing. They can stay as long as they like and have a caseworker. Most important, Kimberly gets visits twice a week from a nurse.
Knowing they have a safe place to return to each day is a huge relief, Kimberly explained. Homelessness causes a lot of stress.
“It’s a lot different feeling when you can go home each day,” she said Wednesday. “Now that we are here with more stability, we are doing much better.”
Nonetheless, Kimberly hopes that sometime soon they will be able to move into a home of their own.
In August 2016, Kimberly had to stop working because her health was failing. She suffers from a severe case of Crohn’s disease — an inflammatory bowl disorder — and has had a colostomy.
Kimberly’s magnesium and potassium often crash to levels that can be life threatening. Twice a week, a nurse draws her blood to send for testing. The lab calls back to advise Kimberly on how much intravenous magnesium and potassium she needs. She takes both medications by drip twice a week with help from Petrina.
As money dwindled in the fall of 2016, Kimberly could not make rent on the $850 per month rent on the duplex, which also carried a $95 monthly utility bill.
Homeless again as 2017 dawned, the three were able to stay in motels for five weeks through a program offered by Volunteers of America, but then returned to the homeless shelter in February. It was frightening because, among other things, Kimberly’s immune system is compromised and she was coming into contact with dozens of people each day.
Good fortune came in May, however, when they were accepted at Palmer Court.
Kimberly’s health is still a significant issue. Next month, she will undergo surgery for a parastomal hernia — one that occurs when the bowels bulge underneath a colostomy. She’s looking forward to the operation.
“I’ll be ready for spring,” she says with a smile.
Despite the rough road they have traveled since arriving in Utah in August 2015, Kimberly remains optimistic. She hopes in the new year to somehow get a car. She already has entered several contests to win one, but no luck so far.
For now, they must get by on about $900 a month through various state programs.
It’s difficult for Kimberly to walk distances. And Destiny suffers from asthma, making it particularly hard to go outdoors this time of year as air pollution is trapped in the valley by temperature inversions.
“I hope I can get a car this year. That’s a big goal for me,” Kimberly said. “If we do get a car, we can see more of Utah. We’re really limited on TRAX and the bus.”
Kimberly also is excited at being accepted by Women of Worth Utah Inc., or WoW. According to the organization’s website, it empowers women to change their lives by providing opportunities to create a new beginning as they move forward from devastating life experiences.
Although Kimberly doesn’t like to talk about their previous lives, she will concede that they left El Paso, Texas, when it became impossible to stay. She has no contact with her family or ex-husband.
Kimberly is hopeful that WoW will open doors for her and help provide a better future for her daughters.
While she remains hopeful, Petrina and Destiny seem less so. After leaving Taylorsville, Kimberly enrolled them in a home-schooling program, Utah Virtual Academy. Petrina is in 10th grade and Destiny is in fifth.
But without a car, their activities outside the home are limited by public transportation.
“They’ve had to make a lot of adjustments. But they also learned that when things happen, it’s not their fault,” Kimberly explained. “It hasn’t been fun, but it’s been a growing experience.”
There has been one, make that two, nice additions to the family — Ramsey and Beatrice — 8-month-old cats. The friendly felines are siblings and bring with them fun and warmth.
“We’re starting over here in Utah. We’ve had our hard times, but we’re accomplishing things and we’re happy,” Kimberly said. “And who could leave these beautiful mountains?”
