A Place to Call Home and a Dream to Call Her Own
Before finding her way to St. Vincent de Paul Georgia’s Motel to Home program, Sonya Warlick was doing everything she could to keep her two young sons safe, housed, and hopeful. The pandemic ended her real estate career, depleting her savings and leaving her with few options. Determined to provide for her family, Sonya spent months applying for jobs, homeschooling her boys, and searching for opportunities while trying to stay afloat as expenses continued to mount.
As her savings disappeared and opportunities became harder to find, Sonya’s world grew smaller. Eventually, she and her sons found themselves moving from hotel room to hotel room. During the day, they often spent hours at the public library—a place that offered safety, comfort, internet access, and a sense of normalcy during an uncertain time.
Despite the challenges, Sonya never stopped searching for a way forward. While researching available resources, she discovered United Way 211, which referred her to St. Vincent de Paul Georgia’s Motel to Home program. It took several months to meet the program requirements, but Sonya remained patient and determined. Then, in January, she received the call that changed everything.
With suppot from the Motel to Home program, Sonya and her sons were able to transition from a motel into a stable home of their own.
For the first time in a long while, the family could exhale. The constant uncertainty was replaced with security, and Sonya finally had room to dream again. She had always been creative, often making skincare products in her kitchen using natural ingredients. As stability returned to her life, she began exploring the possibility of turning that passion into a business. That dream took shape when she entered the Gwinnett Library-sponsored Business Plan Competition—and won. The victory came with a cash prize, business mentoring, and a Chamber of Commerce membership that included access to office space. More importantly, it gave Sonya the confidence to pursue a future she had once thought was out of reach.
Today, she is the founder of Willow & Lavender, a handcrafted skincare brand inspired by softness, strength, and legacy.
But Sonya’s vision extends far beyond skincare. Her mission is to empower women facing housing insecurity, incarceration, and community re-entry—women walking paths similar to the one she once walked herself. “Women need to know that their circumstances do not define their worth,” Sonya shared. “When we take care of ourselves, we feel better, we look better, and the people we meet think better of us. Despite everything I went through, I didn’t want to walk around with my troubles sitting on my shoulders.”
Today, Sonya is building more than a business—she’s building a future. The same mother who once worried about where her children would sleep now spends her days creating opportunities for other women facing hardship. Her journey is a powerful reminder of what can happen when determination meets compassion and a family is given the chance to start again.
Sonya often reflects on how different her family’s story could have been without God’s grace and the support of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia. What began as a season of uncertainty has become a story of resilience, hope, and new beginnings—made possible through the generosity of supporters who believe every family deserves a place to call home.
