FROM HOMELESS
TO HOPEFUL.

Stephanie Bowman was once living on the streets of Central Florida — unhoused, trapped in active addiction, and desperately fleeing severe domestic violence. Her two young daughters were taken by the Department of Children and Families (DCF).

Sitting on a curb in Orlando with literally nothing left to lose, she reached the lowest point imaginable. The heartbreak of watching her daughters being driven away was unbearable. But right in that broken place, Stephanie made a promise to God and to herself: if she could find a way back, she would dedicate every day of the rest of her life to helping mothers and families who felt just as forgotten as she did.

With relentless faith, treatment programs, and the grace of compassionate mentors, Stephanie entered recovery. One day at a time turned into weeks, months, and years. She fought through court appearances, therapy, job searches, and housing insecurity.

Against all odds, Stephanie fulfilled every requirement set by DCF and won back full custody of her daughters. Today, she celebrates over 27 years clean and sober — happy, healthy, surrounded by her children and grandchildren, and standing as living proof that no situation is beyond redemption.

In 2007, Stephanie started One Heart for Women & Children by giving food, clothes, and diapers directly out of the trunk of her car to women and children sleeping in motels and under bridges.

She understood firsthand that hunger was only the surface symptom of deeper trauma: domestic violence, lack of education, mental health struggles, and systemic instability. Food, she realized, was the key that unlocked trust. Once a mother feels seen, respected, and fed without judgment, she is willing to seek healthcare, attend nutrition and parenting classes, and accept help finding safe housing.

What started in a car trunk has blossomed into a permanent resource campus at 2040 N Rio Grande Ave in Orlando, serving over 20,000 neighbors every month, distributing 3M+ pounds of food annually, running 77+ mobile distributions, and mobilizing 21,412 volunteers each year.