On June 9, we at HomeStretch honored our transitional program graduates at a special celebration held at Roswell Presbyterian Church. Reverend Patrick Day of Northminster Presbyterian Church was our keynote speaker, and Dr. Lane Alderman offered some opening remarks as well as the blessing.
The seven honorees will move from our transitional program to residency in our HomeStretch Permanent Supportive apartments. One of the graduates, Shanavia, took some time to share her memories of the transitional program. With the help of HomeStretch, she and her daughter have progressed to a more stable place in life.
“Before I came to HomeStretch, I always put my children first. All the money went to them,” Shanavia says. “I kept putting things off. Then, through HomeStretch, I focused on my money and my job. It became much easier over time to take care of my kids’ needs.”
Prior to entering the HomeStretch program, Shanavia was homeless, without a job or a car, and possessed little “know-how” to manage her finances.
Shanavia admits that the HomeStretch program isn’t easy. “But is it ever easy to get back on track?” she asks. Despite the rigors of the transitional program, Shanavia believes it was worth it. “I really did not think I was going to make it the first year. There were so many roadblocks on the way to my goals,” she recalls. “My mentors just said don’t give up. You are doing a good job.”
In reality, HomeStretch was working for Shanavia. “I have all of those things I didn’t before now and more,” Shanavia says. “I think HomeStretch is awesome.”
Today, Shanavia’s credit report is free of debt. She also went back to school, something she never thought possible, earning a Technical Certificate of Credit (TCC) in Early Childhood Care and Education. Her next goal is to own a home and is moving forward with an application with Habitat for Humanity.
“Everyone needs a helping hand at some time,” says Shanavia. She knows now that if you see the program through, you may even do more than you ever imagined. “My family and I are very happy right now.”
