Safe, Supported, Moving Forward
Keyshia and Millie’s Journey
Part 1:
I never imagined 2025 starting out this way. I guess I’ll begin with a little bit about how I got here. For as long as I can remember I’ve had only myself to rely on. I didn’t have the greatest childhood and that eventually lead to me to becoming pregnant and having to leave home at 18. I had to separate myself from my family, it was no longer a safe environment for me.
I’d managed to build a good little life for myself and my daughter. It’s always been modest, but we’ve always had what we need. I got lucky finding the perfect little basement apartment to live in when I moved out almost 6 years ago. My landlord, David, was an elderly man and he was always so kind to us. Sort of like the family support I’d always wanted. David was sick for the last few years and back in October he passed away. We miss him so much. Almost immediately, his family stepped in and decided they we’re going to sell his house, our home. This meant I was losing the only stability I’ve ever really known. Everything I had built for myself and my little girl. I scrambled to find something, anything that I could afford before the closing date and there was nothing that even came close. David had kept the rent affordable for me knowing it would help me since I was raising my daughter on my own. I was terrified, had no idea what I was going to do, and that’s when I found the YW.
Jessie, my social worker, was the first person I met when we arrived here. I remember the feelings in the pit of my stomach as we walked through the door. Fear, loneliness, uncertainty. These were all quickly eased by Jessie. Since that day I’ve been able to start a program called Skills Development. This has helped me to start learning things like budgeting, resume writing, and I’ve even been able to speak to a counsellor about things that happened to me as a child. I’m feeling a little more confident in myself everyday and the future feels a little brighter with the support I’m feeling. I don’t want to think of what would’ve happened had the YW not been here, and luckily, I don’t have to.
- Keyshia
Part 2:
It’s now been a little over 2 months for my daughter Millie and I, at the YW. A place that felt so scary and so foreign to us, now feels like a safe place. I can’t properly express how thankful I am for my case worker, Jessie. She has guided me through each step of our time here with such patience. Millie was pretty scared being in a new place surrounded by people all the time. She’s only ever known one home, so it took her awhile to open up. There is another little girl about her age that came into shelter just a few weeks ago and that’s been such a big help. The staff here always make sure they have activities, they love to colour, they could sit and colour all day, and they have. My heart fills with joy when I watch them. Even though the dark moments are slowly getting a little brighter, it’s still really hard to not have our own place to call home.
I’ve been learning a lot in my budgeting class. I was never taught how to manage my money, and I am getting more comfortable with it every day. This is something I’ve always wanted to learn, I just never knew where to begin or who to ask. Every week I gain a little more confidence, not just in managing money, but in the choices I make for Millie and me. I’m learning about the little things I can do to help plan better for our future-for her future.
I know I still have a long way to go, but the relief of knowing we have a safe place, while I continue to figure it all out, means more than I can express. To know I can focus on building our life again and not have to worry about where we’ll stay or if there’s food in the fridge, means everything. I’m rebuilding our life, ensuring we will be okay no matter what comes our way in the future. Some days are still heavy. There are moments when I long for the familiarity of our old home, the smell of our home-cooked meals filling the little space, the bedtime routines we had perfected, even drawing on our own scratched up but perfect for us table. But for the first time in a long time, I also feel something else...possibility.
I may not have all the answers yet, but I know this...we are safe, we are supported, and we are moving forward. And that means everything.
- Keyshia