Blackland Stories"[This program] gives our family a chance to stabilize and catapult[s] us into fruitfulness and increased self-sufficiency. It's not a crutch but a support that allows us to move ahead and not continue to fall behind."
"There wasn't any childcare and there wasn't any money and there wasn't a home and now we have all that. Not just that; we're able to plan for the future." "I was in a marriage where abuse entered and I was evicted, pregnant and with a one and a half year-old baby. I brought someone to the food pantry here at Blackland and learned about transitional housing. I did transitional housing and moved on to affordable housing. My experience here has been very positive and rewarding. This has been a true blessing for me and my children." "Hello, "My name is Kathy; I am a 37 year-old Black woman. I have three biological children, one adult and two preschool age children. I am certified in Child Development and certified as a childcare director as well with 22 years of experience in the field of Early Child Hood Education.
"I got married to the father of my younger children and we had three children together. The first son I lost to pre-term labor and this began the whirlwind that took over my life. My younger children were born after him and are 18 months apart. During my last two pregnancies, which involved me having a surgery in order for me to carry the babies to term, I spent the later part on physician ordered bed rest. This began to take a significant toll on our finances. "The children's dad suffered from mental health issues and was not willing to receive any medical attention after the initial diagnosis. This took a toll on all of us in a major way. The only real consistency they had in their lives at this point was going to school at my mother's childcare center daily. During all of these ups and downs my father had a massive stroke. I was responsible for a major part in his care giving for over two years. Daddy passed away and our mother begins to have a really hard time dealing with his death. She lived alone in their four-bedroom home so I decided to move in with her to try and provide moral support for her and have the opportunity to get my affairs back in order. Through my mothers on issues she begin to treat us really badly about financial issues and matters of my dad's estate and ultimately kicked us out of her house and kicked my children out of school. My mother begins to lock us out of the house and church members took us in. "Our world had been turned upside down once again and I was at a point where I did not see a way to be able to meet the needs of my children and continue to take my college courses and work. Little did I know that I had a friend from church that had gone through a program geared toward supporting homeless families. She gave me the information and I applied to Blackland. My family now resides in transitional housing through Blackland CDC. Blackland gave my children a real chance to have a normal life again. We are all thriving from the support offered here. Since becoming a participant in the transitional housing I have received my Child Development Certification, I went from being homeless with no resources for childcare to have a home with a yard and playground for my children to play in, childcare tuition assistance, my children have been enrolled in the same program for several months and have made tremendous progress and a caseworker that is always available if I need her and meets with me weekly to plan for my success in becoming self sufficient. My caseworker assists me in financial planning, locating housing resources and she also provides an abundance of emotional support, it is no way that an individual can successfully complete the program at Blackland and not have a new lease on life. My caseworker and the staff at Blackland have all been very caring and supportive. The parenting and financial management classes offered are a real blessing to families. The curricula offered in the classes are very insightful and provides much needed direction. "I am very appreciative of the opportunity that we have been given to become a part of this program. Blackland has inspired me to help others. I will offer my support to Blackland in the future by volunteering childcare services during classes provided to participants in the program and any other support that I can offer. I will always be comfortable in referring Blackland to other individuals that are looking for support from real people who care. "Thank you for your time, |
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"I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing without this program. I would have to work full-time and I wouldn't be able to go school to be an accounting technician. I'm going to be able to get my associate's degree; and I'm going to use my degree to help people learn how to handle and invest their money and budget properly. I want to work for a nonprofit and eventually maybe start my own.
"Over the last few years my life has been very challenging personally and professionally. A typical vision of my life before then was a stable and consistent one. I had one child, it had been the two of us living alone for 16 years and we were doing well. I had little higher education but a promising career.| © 2008 • Blackland Community Development Corporation |