On a recent sunny day, Helen Hupp’s 8-year-old son Robbie practices his spelling words in the living room while her teenage daughter Rachel texts away on her cell phone and little Libby, 4, and Rayden, 2, are busy playing.

Ms. Hupp and her family have lived in four-bedroom townhouse at Willow Village in downtown Sharon for four years, but before that they lived in a shelter for victims of domestic violence.

They lived in a shelter in Kittanning for a few weeks after leaving their Slippery Rock home because Ms. Hupp’s ex-husband tried to run her over with his car.

Ms. Hupp and Rachel packed their belongings and put them in storage before they left her ex-husband.

She said she stayed so long because they had nowhere to go.

Ms. Hupp said her family tried to help and she and her kids spent some time living with a friend in Harrisville, but that proved too much because about eight people already lived in the home.

It was difficult living in the shelter with five people in one room, Ms. Hupp said. Libby was just a baby and her older son was with them and there were lots of other kids running around, too, which caused strain.

They had no privacy, she said, and little things like not being able to watch what you want on television or use the computer whenever you want were hard for the children.

When Ms. Hupp heard Project RUTH had a three-bedroom home available for them, she said she didn’t even need to look at it.

“I’ll take it,” she told them immediately.

Ms. Hupp said things are going well for her family now. But without Project RUTH, she’s not sure that would be the case.

She spent two years in Project RUTH, where staff helped her get on the right track and get her own place.

“If it wasn’t for Project RUTH, I don’t know what I would’ve done,” Ms. Hupp said.

Even though she’s done with the program, Ms. Hupp said she still goes to classes at Prince of Peace Center in Farrell.

Even though the news is plastered with doom and gloom about the American economy, Ms. Hupp, who doesn’t work, said she’s not really worried.