“Steph” was facing homelessness and going into a shelter, again. At the age of 18, she was pregnant and a mother to a little girl. She was also working toward her goal of becoming a nurse. Steph’s mother allowed her to move home just long enough to finish a nursing certificate. On the last day of class, Steph’s mother told her to move out even though she had nowhere to go.
Moving around was nothing new to Steph. She grew up going back and forth between her parents, neither providing a stable living situation. Often she was prevented from going to school because she needed to care for her younger siblings. The houses she grew up in included abuse and illegal substances. Through high school and after graduation, she often couch surfed at the houses of family or friends. When she had no other options, she’d go to an adult homeless shelter, despite feeling unsafe.
After that short stay at her mother’s while working on her nursing certificate, Steph was facing homelessness once again when a friend referred her to Second Story for Young Mothers. After completing the application, she spent some time on our waitlist until a spot opened up. Steph arrived at Second Story with a few bags, a car seat, and her daughter. She barely had any clothes for herself.
Steph came into the program quiet and grateful to be moving in to a stable living situation. First, we helped her obtain clothes and food from donations and partner organizations. Then, we guided her through the process of setting up an evaluation for her daughter who was showing signs of autism, and helped establish an early intervention plan. As Steph and her daughter adjusted, she began a job training program and started to feel better about her future. Then, she learned her pregnancy was considered “high risk” and was overwhelmed by the medical information. Thankfully Second Story recently welcomed a new volunteer, a licensed nurse practitioner. Our volunteer helped Steph navigate the medical details while our staff took her to appointments and helped her ask questions so she fully understood the doctor’s guidance. After months of uncertainty, Steph welcomed a baby boy. Both mother and baby are healthy and happy.
Steph came to us very quiet and grateful, but she has shown herself to be an outspoken member of our program. She speaks up not just for herself, but also for the needs of others. She has shown herself to be kind, caring, strong-willed, and a leader. We are grateful to have met her and believe that she will achieve the goals she sets for herself.
Steph’s name and other identifying details have been changed to protect her privacy.
