Kim and Patrick had walked difficult roads by the time they arrived at Springs Rescue Mission in 2018 — but their serendipitous meeting in a place not known for romance is a testament to the powers of hope and love.The two met after Kim joined the Work Engagement crew in December 2018. Patrick had been staying in the Men’s Shelter for a few months, but Kim was the new girl.“I remember seeing him for the first time and thinking he was cute,” she said. “We’d talk here and there, but I don’t think either of us thought we had a chance. … I had just lost everything, so I wasn’t even looking for a relationship.”They talked in the Dining Hall at breakfast and in the Resource Center while doing laundry. They laughed, carried on and played pranks on each other. But flirting soon gave way to long walks and conversations, and the two found themselves spending more and more time together.

“Things just really clicked into place,” Patrick said.

Soon they began dating, and during the summer of 2019 moved into their own apartment at Greenway Flats. It was the first time in years either of them had a home to call their own — much less someone to share it with.“Patrick got word that he got an apartment there,” Kim said. “He asked if I could be put on the lease, and I was so surprised when they said yes!"They adopted a kitten named Chester to help with Kim's anxiety, have since both graduated the Careers in Construction program and Patrick is now working with the City of Colorado Springs through the WorkCOS program. It hasn't all been easy, but Kim believes that much of the good the past two years has brought them wouldn't have been possible without their mutual support.“We may have our problems like everyone else, but we communicate well and work things out,” she said. “God has blessed us a whole lot. … If it weren’t for Him and for Patrick, I’d probably still be living in the shelter.”Kim is working to better her relationship to her daughter and said that she and Patrick would like to get married soon. Her favorite thing about him is also his favorite thing about her: a caring, compassionate and supportive nature; and the fact that they continue to make each other laugh and smile often.“Having Kim really does make things a lot easier for me,” Patrick said. “She’s a really strong person, and we have each other’s back. If I need a helping hand, she’s there. And she knows that when she needs a helping hand, I’m here. We make a good team.”For Valentine’s Day, they plan to keep it simple: bundle up on the couch, order some takeout and watch movies.

“I’m not particular,” Kim said. “I just want to be home with him.”

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