Cover Story: 3 Alumni Profiles, pages 4 to 19
A glance at the list of Our House’s Board of Directors
reveals many philanthropic members of the Little Rock
community pitching in their collective ideas to make
Our House an ever-improving social program, but one
current member has the unique distinction of speaking
from the other side of the Our House experience.
Mary Shue represents a side of homelessness that many
people overlook when they envision the affliction. Public
consciousness often associates the homeless with
broken childhood homes and early exposure to the more
frightening fringes of society, but Mary describes herself as having been brought up “always supported and
very much loved.” By high school, Mary had become
impulsive and lashed out against this privilege. Perhaps
overly aware of her safety net, Mary began a prolonged
period of “abusing alcohol, drugs, and even people.
I had a huge problem with my self-esteem and selfdiscipline, and I took advantage of the support I was
given.” Ultimately, the time came when Mary’s parents
had to make what she describes as “the toughest
decision out of love” and cut off her financial support.
Faced with the unfamiliar prospect of being on her
own while raising her two boys, Michael and Morrison,
Mary and her then-husband checked into Our House in
March of 2008. Mary’s first memory of Our House was
meeting case manager Justin Sanders, whose office
was at the shelter entrance. Mary was immediately
struck by Justin’s demeanor, which she describes as
“very soft-spoken, concerned but not frantic, and comforting without coddling or babying.”
continued on page 8
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