The Opportunity Zone (OZ) is a place to celebrate the successes of those impacted by Sisters Place services.
A Family on the Streets
*Kendra, her partner and their two children, after facing serious
financial hardships, found themselves in a homeless situation when it became too expensive to afford their rent. The father went to live with family and *Kendra and the children went into an emergency shelter where they only were able to stay for 30 days. This proved to be very problematic for the family, as *Kendra was also pregnant and trying to care for 2 other young children. She found that it was difficult to secure housing in that 30-day time frame and she was facing a life on the streets.
The Next Steps
Fortunately, the united family found their way to Sisters Place.
They welcomed their 3rd child only four months after entering the
program. During that time, the parents decided that it was best for
the family if the father secured his own independent housing, and
*Kendra became a single mother of three, though the father remained
in the children’s lives and is still part of *Kendra’s support system.
Two years later, she welcomed her fourth child into the family.
Throughout it all, she retained full time employment at Brightside
Academy, where she has been an amazing caretaker and teacher for
8 years! She works with the toddlers in the morning and helps them
get ready for Pre-K, and in the afternoon, she teaches the school
aged children. Her own children are thriving, with one in 4th grade,
one in 1st grade, and one about to enter Kindergarten. The baby
accompanies mom to work every day, which is a blessing. *Kendra is
enrolled and excited to begin working on a BA in Education at Penn
West and one of her goals is to obtain a driver’s license and vehicle
soon. We continue to cheer on her perseverance and resilience!
*Names have been changed to protect the anonymity of the family
