Bridney’s Story
When Bridney arrived at Humanitri, she wasn’t just looking for housing—she was searching for safety and stability. What Bridney made of the opportunity she found there would change her life.
In March 2021, Bridney entered Humanitri’s Transformational Housing Program after escaping an abusive situation. She had a 12-year-old daughter and was pregnant with her son. The weight of starting over felt overwhelming, and like many families in crisis, she wasn’t sure what stability could look like for her children.
A domestic violence shelter that had provided temporary refuge encouraged Bridney to apply to Humanitri. Though uncertain about what lay ahead, she chose to take a leap of faith.
And that leap of faith became the turning point for her family.
“The fact that we had a place to actually call home was a huge weight lifted,” Bridney recalls through tears of gratitude.
Through Humanitri’s Transformational Housing Program, Bridney and her children found more than safe housing. They found stability, guidance, and a community walking alongside them as they rebuilt their lives.
Humanitri’s two-generational approach meant that both Bridney and her children received intentional support. While Bridney worked toward her personal and professional goals, her children participated in programming designed to help them build life skills, gain confidence, and thrive.
With encouragement and accountability from Humanitri staff, Bridney began setting meaningful goals for her future. Through Humanitri’s HOPE curriculum, she worked on financial stability, personal development, and long-term planning. The team helped her rebuild her credit, strengthen healthy routines, and navigate systems that often stand in the way of families trying to move forward.
Bridney took advantage of the opportunity to pursue her education through the BJC Bridge Program while maintaining stability for her family.
Bridney’s determination has turned her goals into reality. Last December, she graduated as a Registered Nurse (RN)—a remarkable milestone that reflects her resilience, determination, and commitment to creating a better future for her children.
Reflecting on her journey, Bridney shares a lesson that now guides her life:
“You cannot have as much faith as you say you have and fear at the same time. Faith and fear don’t balance out.”
Meet Volunteer Janet Schaper
I first became affiliated with Humanitri as a board member on one of its founding members, the Lutheran Ministries Association (LMA). My parents were always supporters of LMA, and in high school I was influenced by Pastor Paul Beins, who was a chaplain at LMA and worked with my youth group at Zion Lutheran Church in Ferguson. When LMA merged with Good Samaritan Center, I remained on the board for several years, and then after my term ended, I continued to support and follow Humanitri.
When I retired in 2017, I found I had extra time on my hands and spoke with Cyra Lohmann, the current Executive Director, to see if I could help at Humanitri. I did a few clerical tasks, including processing payables and entering donations in the donor database. In 2019, the company (LRM) that managed accounting for Humanitri dissolved, and I volunteered to do all the accounting in the QuickBooks program.
I have truly enjoyed having meaningful volunteer work, especially being able to use the skills I developed over many years as Accounting Manager for Lou Fusz Automotive.
I admire Humanitri’s mission, not only to house homeless families, but to help them to navigate living independently.
Meet Board Member Ryan McLaury
Ryan is a husband, father of 4, and native of St. Louis. Passionate about fostering community and loving his neighbors, he is active at Reliant Church in the city and also serves on the board of Lutheran Development Group. He is a self-employed real estate investor and founder of Rhythm Development. He is a Truman State University graduate and received his MBA from UMSL. Ryan enjoys traveling and exploring the outdoors with his wonderful family of 6.
