This is an amazing full-circle story of healing and restoration from one of our staff. We couldn’t be more proud of all she has accomplished!
What seems like a lifetime ago now, I was a child living a traumatic upbringing. I had a learning disability and minimal outside support to give me hope for a better future. I was raised by a single mom with three other siblings, me being the eldest. We lived in a two-bedroom apartment from the time I was in 4th grade until my 10th grade year of high school. There was a lot of pain, laughter, sadness, and difficult memories in the place we called home. I had been exposed to domestic violence, sexual abuse, drug use, and trafficking during those years. Fast forward 13 years later, and I am the first in my family to graduate high school and college. With my bachelor’s in social work, I felt compelled to apply at Main Street Family Services. Their mission aligns with my passions and hopes for families like mine.
Main Street opened its arms to me. They’ve respected and empowered me to be the best version of myself I could ever imagine. They accepted and embraced my diversity and experiences. This opportunity has allowed me to blossom into a woman I’m so proud of today.
To bring my story full-fold, I want to tell you about the family I was privileged to work with for almost five months. Halfway through services with us, this mother worked incredibly hard to be reunified with her son. Toward the end of their journey of working with us, this family moved into their own place; it wasn’t just any place. It was the place that I had called home for most of my childhood. I was flooded with emotions as I navigated the familiar corridor to meet this mother and her child in their new home. This had been my home; these were the halls I had walked down and run barefoot through, chasing after my siblings. Although I was filled with many emotions, most of all, I was filled with a sense of hope and pride. I was now supporting, serving, inspiring, and guiding a family like mine.
Main Street cherishes and loves people wherever they are in life. They open their arms to people like me, and in return, I can spill that overflowing hope into the lives of the families I serve. I’m living and walking proof of this. I wish my mother had had the support that Main Street provides families. I am so proud to be part of the solution that makes a real difference.