Toby*
Toby’s mother was homeless before he was born. He spent his childhood moving with her from one shelter to the next. Although Toby lacked stability growing up, he always had a plan for his life: finish high school, get his culinary degree and open his own restaurant.
But to meet his goals, Toby needed help. At age 17, he found the emergency shelter program at Promise House.
“Promise House gave me a place to stay. My case workers made sure I had what I needed so I could focus on my plans and goals for the future,” Toby said. “They really just made sure that I was all right.”
During his time in the emergency shelter program, Toby received shelter, food, clothing, counseling and life skills training. He graduated in June, and plans to double major in culinary arts and business at a local community college!
Alexandra and Kenneth*
Alexandra knew the challenges of teen pregnancy all too well; her mother and grandmother both had children when they were teens.
When Alexandra got pregnant at age 19, her mom – who struggled with drug abuse – kicked her out of the house.
Alexandra started looking for help for teen moms and found the Wesley Inn Program at Promise House. Once she enrolled in the program, she said her life started showing signs of improvement. She gave birth to Kenneth and began taking courses at Kaplan College. The Wesley Inn Program provided her with support she said she would never have experienced, including classes on how to care for a newborn and bond with her son.
“I came to Wesley Inn and the staff and volunteers really helped me buckle down and finish school while I raised my son,” she said.
This summer, Alexandra passed her dental assistant certification exam. Today she is working in her field and raising her son in her own apartment.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy of our clients.