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Going Full Circle
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| Latonya at Pennies from Heaven 2007 |
I came to The Haven in April of 1994.
I was in need of a place to stay, and I was referred
to The Haven by a former Haven resident. She assured
me this place was not like any other shelter. I thought
I would be in a school gymnasium, and that I would have
to sleep on a cot. I thought I would have to sleep on
top of my belongings, so that no one would steal them.
Needless to say, The Haven was far from what I thought.
The staff welcomed me with open arms. Everyone was very
nice and warm. You were not judged for being in the
situation you were in. It felt as if you were living
with multiple mothers and a lot of sisters.
I want to mention the sense of self
worth I received while being at The Haven. When you
are a teen mother, you feel like a big failure. You
pretty much feel as if your life is over. Being at The
Haven changed my outlook on life. They have such a great
support system. The Haven offers great classes on how
to be a successful parent. You receive parenting classes,
budgeting classes, and nutritional classes. These are
all the essentials in life. These are the small things
that most people think come with common sense. You have
to be taught how to budget, you have to be taught how
to be a parent, and you have to be taught how to prepare
a healthy meal. The Haven is such a great place. They
have extended their services outside of living at The
Haven facility. They have extended their help to the
former residents, who have moved on to their own housing.
Currently, I’m receiving daycare assistance. The $150
per month The Haven gives for my children’s before and
after school program is helping me tremendously.
It’s always great to receive monetary
help. But the most rewarding are the life skills that
you learn. Those are lessons that you never forget.
Today, I am working for a software company, Ceridian,
as a Customer Service Analyst for the past two years.
With the help of The Haven scholarship fund, I went
back to school to receive my CPP, Certified Payroll
Professional. I’m currently researching the school I
want to attend to receive my Bachelor’s degree. I hope
to enroll Fall 2007 or Spring 2008. Recently, I attended
one of The Haven’s events and gave a charitable contribution
to support its programs. I thank GOD for the founders
of The Haven, the staff, and all of the people working
behind the scenes who support this wonderful place!
Latonya
Class of 1994
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