“You don’t know how far gone you are until someone helps you come back.” – Angela
A Guardian Angel in Disguise
Angela Powell believes her fiancé saved her life — even in his final moments.
They were supposed to take the drugs together. But he took them first. The dose was laced with fentanyl. He died before he ever made it home. Angela never touched it.
“He didn’t just die — he saved me,” she says softly. “If it weren’t for that moment, I wouldn’t be alive. And if it weren’t for MDC, I wouldn’t have known how to live again.”
She arrived in Tacoma with nothing but a suitcase and a sliver of faith — grieving, houseless, in chronic pain, and fighting addiction. Emotionally spiraling and physically deteriorating, Angela knew she was at a breaking point.
“I had lost my partner, my home, my health, even my mind,” she recalls. “I didn’t know where to go — but I knew I couldn’t keep going like this.”
MDC: A Lifeline in the Dark
Angela first connected with the Metropolitan Development Council (MDC) through their Welcome Center, where she found more than services; she found people who truly cared.
“They didn’t judge me. They didn’t hand me a brochure and send me away,” Angela says. “They walked beside me. Every step.”
Through MDC’s Behavioral Health team, Angela received immediate support. She met Dr. Terry, who helped stabilize her overwhelming anxiety and panic attacks, and Nurse Val, who ensured she had access to the medication she desperately needed.
“I was panicking about everything — even things like earthquakes or sinkholes,” she explains. “It felt like my brain was fracturing. But MDC helped bring me back to myself. I’m mentally well for the first time in years.”
A Home of Her Own — And a Future
Housing is where healing begins, and through MDC’s housing advocacy and support services, that healing became real when Angela applied for the Housing Choice Voucher program, and was chosen!
“I went from the streets to a one-bedroom apartment of my own,” she says, eyes welling up with tears. “And it’s for life. I don’t have to worry about being homeless again.”
She looks around her home now — full of warmth, light, and stability — and reflects.
“Sometimes I sit in my apartment and just take it in. I look at everything I have and say, ‘Thank you, God. Thank you, MDC.’”
Wraparound Care, Full-Circle Impact
Angela’s journey wasn’t just about housing or mental health. MDC’s wraparound model helped her reclaim every part of her life.
- Health & Mobility: After years of walking bone-on-bone, Angela underwent a full knee replacement. MDC arranged for door-to-door transportation to her physical therapy appointments. “Now I can move again,” she says, smiling.
- Dental & Vision: MDC helped her access the insurance and services she needed for a full dental restoration. “I got my smile back, literally.”
- Connection & Care: After her surgery, MDC coordinated volunteers to check in, clean her home, and simply be present. “I don’t have family here,” Angela says. “But MDC? They show up like family.”
- Education & Career: With guidance from MDC’s Education Services, Angela is taking steps to finish nursing school — a dream she thought was long behind her. “They’re helping me get my transcripts and figure out my next move. I want to help others, just like they helped me.”
A New Purpose: From Client to Advocate
Angela’s journey has come full circle. Today, she volunteers at her church nursery and actively helps others in need connect with MDC’s life-changing services. “I brought in a friend who was sick and homeless. I knew MDC would help her—because they helped me when no one else could.” Now, Angela lives not only with safety and peace but with a renewed sense of purpose and hope.
Her transformation is not the result of a single program but a testament to MDC’s holistic, compassionate, and deep human approach to care. Angela’s story proves that supporting MDC means more than funding services, it means helping people reclaim their lives and futures.
“MDC was the root,” Angela says, “and everything else—my health, my home, my hope—grew from that.”
Why Your Support Makes Stories Like Angela’s Possible
Every story like Angela’s is a powerful reminder of the real difference your generosity can make. When you invest in MDC, you’re not just funding programs; you’re fueling hope, healing, and new beginnings for people who might otherwise be overlooked.
Angela’s journey shows how your support helps provide more than shelter or treatment—it helps restore dignity, rebuild confidence, and create lasting change. These stories aren’t just about one person’s success; they’re about the ripple effect that transforms families, neighborhoods, and communities. Your partnership truly turns lives around—and that impact is priceless.
Explore how MDC’s compassionate services can transform lives by visiting MDC-Hope.org today.
Make a meaningful impact. Donate here and help change more lives just like Angela’s.