Helping women get back on their feet and better their lives is the mission behind the new Transitional Housing and Wellness Center at the City Mission of Schenectady.

After an accident in 2019 turned her world upside down, Darlecia Scudry found out what it’s like to be without.

“Coming to the shelter I wasn’t in my right state of mind," said Scudry, a City Mission of Schenectady resident. "I was depressed. I was angry.”

The City Mission of Schenectady helped Scurdy weather the storm.

“It brought life back into me," she said. "I was around other women whose stories were similar to mine. And we just helped each other.”

It all paid off in January, when she and her 12-year-old son were able to move into their own apartment.

“You come from the shelter, you’ve been in for a year and you finally get to move into your own setting, which is peaceful. It’s comfortable and it’s beautiful,” Scudry said.

It’s inside the City Mission of Schenectady’s new Transitional Housing and Wellness Center.

“Where we are right now is our counseling and wellness center, so we can offer mental health and spiritual counseling," said Mike Saccocio, executive director of the City Mission of Schenectady. "Downstairs, we have a fitness center. Helping people really make that long journey to success requires being physically healthy.”

The building houses 10 apartments for women working toward building a better future for themselves and their families. The new apartments bring the total number of apartments operated by the city mission to 34.

“The need is great, at times overwhelming," Saccocio said. "But I think what keeps inspiring us to keep on reaching out is we get to see the changes that can happen.”

Changes like Scurdy made, and is determined to continue making.

“I will honestly say if I didn’t have my son, I’d probably being living in my car," she said. "And just to see where I’m at right now, I’ve come a long way."