![\"Arianna](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/REG-L-AriannaHomelessAlbright1603.jpg\")
Arianna Austin says she has found stability and community while living at Opportunity House. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\nAlbright College sophomore Arianna Austin says she is not a typical college student. A resident of Opportunity House, Austin is balancing coursework with survival as she works toward a degree.<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old art major said the shelter provided her with stability and hope after months of living unhoused.<\/p>\n
Marked by resilience and determination, Austin\u2019s story challenges common assumptions about who experiences homelessness and what it takes to keep moving forward, said Holly Wolf, director of marketing for the nonprofit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe tend to think homelessness affects older people, and we forget that there are young people who are experiencing it,\u201d Wolf said.<\/p>\n
There are other common myths and stereotypes about homelessness that are false and can be harmful, she said.<\/p>\n
The myths that homeless people are lazy and just don\u2019t want to work or that they are all alcoholics, drug addicts or mentally ill are just a few examples, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Arianna is the face of \u2018it\u2019s not what you think,\u2019\u201d Wolf said.<\/p>\n
Focused on her dreams<\/p>\n
Austin\u2019s journey began in 2024\u00a0when she and her mother were priced out of their apartment while living and working in Monroe County.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were living paycheck to paycheck,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen the rent went up by $500 a month, I knew we weren\u2019t going to be able to afford it.\u201d<\/p>\n
What followed was a stretch that tested every ounce of her resilience, Austin said.<\/p>\n
With no stable housing, she and her mother slept in their car, navigating daily life without access to basic necessities like a bathroom, a shower or a safe place to rest.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t realize how hard it is until you\u2019re there,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can\u2019t lie down. You don\u2019t feel safe. You\u2019re constantly on edge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, Austin kept focused on her dreams. She was working, trying to save and holding onto her goal of attending college, when she received an acceptance letter and scholarship from Albright.<\/p>\n
Arianna Austin says she has found stability and community while living at Opportunity House. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n
The moment was both joyful and heartbreaking, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was excited because I got in,\u201d she said, \u201cbut then I\u2019d go back to the car and remember my situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Austin\u2019s mother drove her to Reading, where she started classes. But after a few weeks, her mother left the area to pursue a job opportunity.<\/p>\n
For a short time, Austin tried staying in Albright\u2019s commuter lounge overnight until a security officer discovered her situation and told her she had to find someplace else.<\/p>\n
She joined a gym, where she could shower and find shelter, but the facility was open overnight only three days a week. On the other four, she stood outdoors, stomping her feet and rubbing her arms, attempting to stay warm.<\/p>\n
\u2018Felt safe\u2019<\/p>\n
Finally last January, she was directed to Opportunity House, 430 N. Second St. And what she thought was her rock bottom, she said, turned out to be a new beginning.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know what to expect,\u201d Austin said. \u201cBut when I walked in, I finally felt safe. I had a bed. I had heat. I could lay down fully for the first time after sleeping in chairs for months.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Brenda Ingram-Wallace, Albright\u2019s vice president of student affairs and campus life, said the college is grateful for its long-standing relationship with Opportunity House.<\/p>\n
\u201cOpportunity House has served as a primary referral resource for the college, with staff who are consistently responsive and supportive,\u201d Ingram-Wallace said.<\/p>\n
The shelter plays an important role in supporting students experiencing housing and food insecurity, she noted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis work is complemented by other community and campus-based efforts, including services and volunteer opportunities with Hope Rescue Mission and Albright\u2019s Lifting Up Lions program, which provides winter clothing, toiletries and access to a food pantry,\u201d Ingram-Wallace said.<\/p>\n
Looks to inspire others<\/p>\n
At Opportunity House, Austin said, she found stability and something more. She found community.<\/p>\n
![\"Arianna](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/REG-L-AriannaHomelessAlbright1601.jpg\")
Arianna Austin embellished a sign from a bakery with artwork, noting her love of baking for Opportunity House, where she is staying while attending Albright College. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n
She began volunteering in the kitchen, helping prepare meals, baking luscious treats and whipping up surprisingly delicious healthful smoothies.<\/p>\n
Florence Pagan, the shelter\u2019s kitchen manager, praised her dedication.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s always moving, always helping,\u201d Pagan said. \u201cYou never see her sitting around. She has such a good heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Austin also uses her creativity and artistic talent to craft the beaded bracelets she gives to other residents as a symbol of hope.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like making people smile,\u201d she said. \u201cIf I can do something small to make them feel cared for, that means everything to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the same time, she continues her studies at Albright. Balancing coursework with shelter life is not easy, Austin said. She studies in hallways, common rooms and wherever she can find a quiet corner.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard,\u201d she admitted. \u201cBut I\u2019ve learned how to push through.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the challenges, Austin refuses to let homelessness define her.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is part of my journey, not who I am,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m not ashamed of it. It\u2019s something I went through, not something I am.\u201d<\/p>\n
After graduation, she hopes to build a future rooted in creativity and advocacy, using her voice and story to inspire others experiencing homelessness or other challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t think I\u2019d make it through this,\u201d Austin said. \u201cBut I did. And now I know I can do more than I ever thought possible.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Albright College sophomore Arianna Austin says she is not a typical college student. A resident of Opportunity House,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":84516,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[349,857,4736,182,139,28,736,128,130,129,706],"class_list":{"0":"post-84515","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reading","8":"tag-berks-county","9":"tag-essential-reading","10":"tag-housing","11":"tag-local-news","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-pennsylvania","14":"tag-reading","15":"tag-reading-city","16":"tag-reading-city-headlines","17":"tag-reading-city-news","18":"tag-top-stories-reg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84515"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84515\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}