LuvyaMom.com, the first website launched by the SHOCompassioNetwork, was founded in honor of Ms. Hooks’ Mother, Susan Anderson. “She was a no-nonsense type of lady” Hooks says of her mother. “She didn’t take any of my mess. I couldn’t and didn’t get away with anything.” In June of 2002, after a large real estate transaction fell through, Ms. Hooks found herself, homeless and unemployed with no family to speak of and sleeping on the couch of a friend, with nothing left but her car, her dog and her faith in God. “Devastation does not begin to describe what I felt at that time." “I, like anyone else, have my own set of “fears” – but being homeless was never one of them."
Ms. Hooks found out quickly being poor was not the only prerequisite for obtaining help. "You had to be poor with..." Hooks said. "You had to be poor with a child, or poor with a substance abuse problem, a criminal record, or suffer a physical or emotional challenge." "I needed "untraditional" resources to help me become re-established and they just weren't available."
Determined to rebound from her situation, Ms. Hooks began strategizing and the result is The SHOCompassioNetwork, which was conceived and the LuvyaMom.com website constructed all while maintaining residence from the corner of a shared room, at a transitional homeless shelter in Ypsilanti, Michigan. "I had to continually remind myself "focus on where you're going and not where you are."
Ms. Hooks journey of homelessness, is detailed in the soon to be released book "In Case of Emergency" Strong Tower Publishing and Productions.
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