“This time I surrendered,” said Antranette in 2009. She realized she’d have to permanently change her surroundings to change her life. Over the previous twenty years, she tried many rehabilitation programs and transitional housing, but she always returned to her old neighborhood and family. As much as she didn’t want to leave her children in foster care, it was the only way she could fix herself. Finally, she did just that. She was able to get her children back and living with her in WHC housing.

Every time Antranette filled out a job application, she checked off the box that said she had a high school diploma. It wasn’t true so she made a commitment to herself and studied hard to get her GED in 2010. She set a goal and she met it—a first!

She learned many things about herself through the Women’s Housing Coalition’s program and in an internship at a local newspaper. She’s proud to say she has very professional customer service skills, resourceful, outgoing and has a great speaking voice. She lights up when talking about her goals of saving money, pursuing a degree and experiencing new work environments. She’s learned that in an interview situation, she can be the interviewer just as much as the interviewee. Ultimately, she’s discovered she can apply this lesson to her everyday life, not just while in an interview. These new actions are resulting in better outcomes—and it has been exciting and enlightening for Antranette.

She has now gone on to become a Certified Nursing Assistant and got and maintained full time work for several years. In early 2015, she lost her job, but still had the WHC so that as she looked for another job she didn’t have to worry about becoming homeless again with her kids.

In December 2015, Antranette and her kids moved out of Women’s Housing Coalition housing into their own independent housing. Having the support to get her personal issues in line, secure a safe and stable environment for her kids, get the education she wanted and needed to get a good and better job, to have the chance to learn to budget and to save money for her family and then move out on their own. This is the work our residents and staff do each day so that women and families can have lifelong stability and skills for themselves and their families.