Brenda came to Our House in 2024, fleeing domestic violence, in a bad financial situation, and needing a safe place for herself and her three children. Fortunately, our new Mabee Family House had just opened, so Brenda’s family was able to get a room and become one of the first families to benefit from our expanded capacity. Brenda’s older children, Rey and Reina, got enrolled in school and were also able to attend our expanded Our Club youth program after school and on school-out days. And her youngest, Riana, who had just turned one, was able to enroll in our expanded Bright Beginnings early childhood program. With housing and quality care for her children secured, Brenda was able to get to work building a new life for her family. She worked with our Career Center team, who helped her find a job at a phone company and begin saving money. And she worked with the Stability Program, and connected with her case manager Daniella, who helped her find an apartment for her family to move into within three months. Since moving out, Brenda has continued working with Daniella to achieve her goals, including finding a child care for Riana closer to their new home (in the interim, Riana continued attending Bright Beginnings even after they moved out), and finding a better job – Brenda now works at a leasing agency, where she earns more money and has a more fulfilling role. Brenda now shares vacancies at her company with Our House so we can connect other client families with housing opportunities.
“When you first get to Our House, it is a lot–a lot of activities, a lot of programs, a lot going on. But once I embraced it, it helped me change my energy. And we have tried to take that energy and structure into our lives outside of Our House. We have a schedule, we have chores, we have activities as a family.” Brenda also has more confidence in the workplace. “Our House helped me reconnect with my professionalism and start building a career.” But Brenda says it is the connections with people that has been most important. “The compassion and patience of my case manager helped me turn my life around.”
