Redmond couple coming back from tough times

For Rowdy Randall and Kayla Wampler of Redmond, having a roof over their heads is not something they take for granted.

“It felt like a blessing. It felt so surreal. We don’t get chances like this,” Wampler said Tuesday.

Randall and Wampler are recovering addicts. In 2012, their children were taken away from them. It was a moment that — of course — changed their lives forever.

“My heart was ripped out. I didn’t want to live. My heart was broken. I’m going to start crying, sorry.,” Wampler said, wiping away tears.

Getting clean was the first step to getting their children back. Finding stable housing was the second.

“We started doing really good, and they said, ‘Okay. you’ve got to figure out housing,'” Wampler recalled. “And I was like, ‘How are we going to do that?'”

That’s when NeighborImpact stepped in to help. Its Housing Stabilization Program is designed to support people getting back on their feet.

“They have to find their own housing,” said Mary Marson, association director for the program. “When someone, for example, comes into our shelter. we take a look at some of their past barriers towards housing. and we try to work with them on those.”

The barriers can include debt, evictions and felony charges.

“Typically, you don’t bounce back from this,” Randall said.

NeighborImpact’s Marson said that currently. the city of Bend has only about 18 rental vacancies at any one time, making the competition fierce.

“We heard of a landlord just this past week who requires income that is five times higher than the rent,” Marson said.

Coming up with that amount of money is impossible for many families.

“This program gave us a chance for us to do anything,” Randall said. “Nobody wanted to give us a shot.”

The Housing Stabilization Program changed many lives for the better, serving 225 adults and 426 children in 2014, including the couple’s lives.

“It’s a second chance at life,” Wampler said.

Now, they have their three daughters back, and they both work full-time.

“I love my life today,” Wampler said.

“All we needed was a shot, and we got it,” Randall said. “I mean, the program not only saved our lives but our kids have a stable home,” Randal said.

For more information: http://www.neighborimpact.org/