Written by Olivia Abuelouf
Martha Meeks spent seven years unhoused, sleeping inside tents and under bridges, afraid to fall asleep. Today, she is a Peer Support Specialist at the CHATT Foundation, and spends every day helping people who are living through what she experienced.
Housing had been a struggle for Meeks since being put out of her home by her foster parents at the age of 16. In 2008, she was in college, working two jobs and raising a child, when an incident occurred that caused her to have a nervous breakdown. She became unhoused, an experience she says is far more common than people may expect.
“It really could happen to anybody,” said Meeks. “That could be your child.”
During Meeks’ unhoused years, her faith gave her the strength to keep going. She grew up Presbyterian, and through it all, she never stopped going to church. Her relationship with God, she expressed, helped her to push through struggles that seemed impossible to overcome.
“When you have something to believe in, you have something greater than yourself, and you understand that you’re not always going to understand what He’s doing in your life,” said Meeks. “For seven years, I call it my wilderness years, He was just remaking me.”
One of the most misunderstood aspects of homelessness is the trauma that drives people to lose their housing and, in many cases, fall into substance abuse.
In her work as a Peer Support Specialist, Meeks hasn’t worked with a single client who hasn’t been either physically, sexually, emotionally or religiously abused. This trauma is what leads many people to become unhoused and turn to drugs as a coping mechanism.
“I know most people say, well, they’re drug addicts. But there was something wrong before that. You never reach for drugs because you’re happy with your life,” said Meeks. “So I get angry when people say that they’re just homeless because they’re drug addicts. It minimizes what happened to them.”
The criminalization of homelessness can play a major role in preventing someone from getting back onto their feet. Under Tennessee’s Equal Access to Public Property Act, sleeping on public property can be charged as a Class E felony, carrying a potential prison sentence of 1 to 6 years and a fine of up to $3,000, along with the loss of voting rights.
“You can’t be homeless on public property, you can’t be homeless on private property, so you just can’t be homeless,” said Meeks. “There’s nowhere to go.”
In 2016, a couple whose children Meeks had babysat began working at the CHATT foundation and recognized her. They helped her to secure a spot in a housing lottery.
Since then, she has had a place to call home.
“They were my saviors. They were the reason somebody noticed me and asked me, why are you homeless? Let’s fix that,” said Meeks. “So that’s why I do what I do today, because you don’t have to be homeless, we can figure it out. You don’t have to be on these streets.”
Meeks said that one of the most difficult but rewarding parts of her work is gaining the trust of those she works with. Since being unhoused puts a person in such a vulnerable position it can be hard to reach them. But by connecting with them through her own experiences, she has become skilled at building trust.
“It’s been a very humbling experience because I know what I know because I’ve been through what I’ve been through,” said Meeks. “And to break that wall that they have down, they’re not in a very trusting space, neither was I when I was homeless, I try to get them to understand that the advice I’m encouraging them to take is going to get them down a good path, or at least get them started on a good path.”
Coni Brooks met Meeks three months ago when she was in the process of getting into St. Catherine’s Women’s Shelter, and they have since become friends. Today Meeks works as Brooks’ Peer Support Specialist.
“She has been positive, encouraging, wouldn’t let me give up hope when it seemed like it was going to be next to impossible to get in because nobody was leaving,” said Brooks. “She just keeps me focused.”
Brooks is one of many people being guided and supported by Meeks at the CHATT Foundation.
Today, Meeks lives in Lookout Valley with her rescue dog, and is finishing her associate’s degree in Social Work at Chattanooga State Community College. After getting her associate’s, she plans to pursue her master’s in Social Work at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
After obtaining her degrees and becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Meeks said that she aspires to be a foster parent, as it’s something she has always wanted to do.
“This is amazing. I have a cute little house in Lookout Valley, I’ve got a rescue dog, I’ve got friends, I’m on boards and committees, and people have respect for me,” said Meeks. “In my former life, I was invisible, but now, not so much.”
Drawing from Isaiah verse 61:3 in the Bible, Meeks emphasized that it’s more than possible to overcome past suffering.
“There’s always beauty for ashes in the end,” said Meeks. “And that’s the way my story is. Beauty for ashes.”
Meet the Storytellers
Olivia Abuelouf
Olivia Abuelouf is a junior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, majoring in Communication with a minor in Political Science. She has worked for Strike Magazine’s PR team and is a staff writer for the University Echo. She also enjoys doing photography work for local bands and artists in the Chattanooga area. Abuelouf is passionate about political journalism and sees it as a valuable tool for social change and cross-party unity. As a Palestinian-American, she ultimately aspires to work in international conflict reporting, hoping to bridge divides and amplify underrepresented voices. To reach out to Abuelouf, contact dkt932@mocs.utc.edu.
Ashlyn Yoes – Assistant Editor
Ashlyn Yoes is a junior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, majoring in Communication and minoring in Marketing. She is skilled in journalistic writing, but her passion lies in photography. Yoes has been a news writer and sports photographer for the University Echo and is proficient in Adobe programs. She mainly photographs sporting events and portraits but wants to work more in the music industry. She strives to use photography to not only capture memories but also highlight people’s stories. In her free time, Yoes enjoys creating art and attending concerts. To contact Yoes, email her at bvr974@mocs.utc.edu.