One Family’s Story

Brenda joined the Hope and A Home program with her two children, Brittany and Gary, in the spring of 2000. When she had her first child at 16, she was told to leave home. She moved to a shelter and later spent time in a foster home. She was referred to Hope and A Home by the FLOC Teen Mothers and Babies Program, a group home for young women and their infant children.

When Brenda applied to Hope and A Home, she wrote on her application:

Just as for other Hope and A Home families, the lack of stable housing had prevented Brenda from holding down or advancing in a job. She was behind in her bills and had a poor credit record.

Once she joined Hope and A Home, Brenda had her first apartment – affordable housing at last! She began meeting weekly with her Hope and A Home family worker, setting goals, attending monthly workshops, paying rent on time, saving money each month, and learning the necessary skills to become an effective advocate for her children’s education.

Brenda was interested in a job in the health field. In April, 2001, she started work as a unit clerk at a local hospital. When one of the Hope and A Home staff congratulated her on her new job, Brenda replied, “I didn’t get a job; I got a career!"

She played an active leadership role in the Hope and A Home program, helping to plan and facilitate family workshops and serving for a year as a member of the “Kestenbaum Board”. The Kestenbaum Board is comprised of four Hope and A Home parents and one volunteer, who administer grants that can be used by Hope and A Home parents for job training and education.

In addition, Hope and A Home provided lots of support for Brenda’s children. Both were observed in their classrooms, and Hope and A Home Educational Support staff recognized that each child is gifted and that their school placements were inadequate. Staff worked with Brenda to help her apply to private schools. Her children were each accepted with full scholarships, and FLOC provides transportation.

Both children have mentors who are trained and supervised by Hope and A Home staff. Both children participate in our Good Grades Incentive Program, which rewards them for setting and achieving academic goals.

In February of this year, Brenda applied for a Kestenbaum grant and was awarded $1,200 to pursue a nursing career. Meanwhile, at her hospital job, Brenda met Tony, who also worked there. Their relationship grew, and Tony joined the Hope and A Home program as he joined Brenda’s family. They got engaged.

Brenda, Tony, and her two children graduated from their Hope and A Home apartment in April, 2003 and moved to a rental apartment here in Washington. The children continue to participate in all their Hope and A Home activities, seeing their mentors and participating in the Good Grades program. Brenda and Tony continue to come to our monthly parent workshops.

Brenda says she has a vision for herself and her family’s future. With Hope and A Home’s support, her commitment to that vision is making her dream a reality.