Sunrise at Solomon’s Temple is an opportunity for us to share real life examples and stories of past and present families who have lived at Solomon’s Temple and who have had a fresh start and a new beginning.

Meet Zamonie

Zamonie and his mom Doni are experiencing homelessness and have been residents and clients at Solomon’s Temple Foundation since October 2020. Zamonie was first diagnosed at the age of 2 with autism. Due to his diagnosis, Zamonie is cognitively and verbally impaired, as autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects various behaviors, such as a child’s ability to communicate and interact with others.

When Zamonie and his mother arrived at Solomon’s Temple, Zamonie was shy, he never made eye contact with others, and was very reserved. Doni, was worried that living at Solomon’s Temple would be a negative experience for her son. She honestly thought that the number of people living within the shelter, would have a negative impact on him due to his inability to socialize with others. Doni, recalls an experience at the Flea Market, where there were lots of people and Zamonie did not do well and became very overwhelmed. Doni, was seriously afraid that being at Solomon’s Temple would trigger Zamonie and she would have to relive that day at the Flea Market.

However, after some consistent interaction with Solomon’s Temple staff and with other families, Doni, as well as the staff, are excited to see Zamonie’s progress. He is blossoming daily as we are witnessing him smiling, following verbal commands, fist bumping with others, and making verbal sounds. His mother states, Zamonie fed himself for the first time on Monday and repeated ‘my stinky feet” mimicking her while she was teasing him.

Living in a homeless shelter especially as a child is never easy, but having a safe and stable environment like Solomon’s Temple has proven to be a huge life-altering opportunity for Zamonie!

We are so excited to witness the progress of Zamonie and share in the joy with his mother. Doni is thrilled about her son’s progress and we are overjoyed that this precious 5 year old is thriving at Solomon’s Temple. Zamonie is very inquisitive, loves the outdoors, he has difficulty knowing how to play a game with his peers, but he has an exceptionally good understanding of how computers work.

To meet Zamonie is immediately to be charmed, he will brighten your day with just a smile. Help Make a Difference in a Child’s Life like Zamonie’s by donating to Solomon’s Temple Foundation today!