When I found out I was pregnant, I never questioned whether or not I was going to have her. I always knew I wanted her, but I also knew things in my life had to change. I was living place to place and didn’t have a stable home of my own. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I knew I had to get my life in order.
I lived at The Elizabeth House for 10 months and committed myself to working through the program and doing everything I had to do to change my life. The most beneficial thing for me at The Elizabeth House was the everyday motivation and support from staff and the other women living there too. I formed very strong connections and friendships with the other residents and remain close with them today. We gained insight from each other about parenting and learned from each other.
I benefitted from so many of the services that Care Net and The Elizabeth House offer. The Best Beginnings classes helped me prepare and get ready to be a mom. I appreciated being able to earn “Care Cash” through household responsibilities and program achievements that I could spend in the Care Market to “buy” things for my myself and my daughter. I enjoyed participating in Heart Chats with a volunteer couple and appreciated the spiritual support that those times offered.
Weekly case management helped me learn to plan and budget and keep myself accountable to follow through with things I need to do. I am a lot more responsible now. I’ve learned to make better choices and to believe in myself.
I graduated from The Elizabeth House and now I am in my own apartment. This is the first time that I have had my own home and I work hard everyday to keep it and make it a stable home for myself and my daughter. I still meet with Michelle for Case Management on a regular basis for support and to help me work towards goals that I have for myself and my daughter.
I give thanks to God first and foremost always. Jesus is a strong presence in my life and I’m thankful for that. I am also very appreciative of all the services and opportunities that The Elizabeth House and Care Net provided to me. I feel forever indebted to the staff and volunteers of The Elizabeth House and Care Net and for those who make it possible. Staff, volunteers and the other women that I lived with became much more than friends to me, but became my family.
Excerpted from a story shared by a graduate of The Elizabeth House at Care Net’s Annual Fundraising Banquet.