Lives Transformed

When I first came to Beatitude House, I had a one-year-old boy and I was expecting my second son. I was living in a roach-infested apartment, barely able to afford the bills. The landlord had turned off the electricity and had taken my refrigerator from my apartment when I wasn't home. I had not been talking to my mother at the time. I had been getting beaten by my ex-boyfriend and had no one else to turn to. I moved into Beatitude House. I got started at YSU, and gave me a new outlook on life.

Beatitude House gave me the chance for a new beginning away from all of the hurt and pain and struggling. She gave me the chance to be myself, and accept myself and try to better myself for my children and myself.

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Beatitude House program is truly a blessing to me. The program offered a safe place for my child and me to live. I didn't have to settle for living in an unsafe housing complex. I could continue attending college. I was able to address painful situations that had affected my life as a child. Beatitude was a safe haven for my daughter and me. I thank God that He blessed me to meet Sister Margaret and become a part of the Beatitude House program.

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Before this program, I wasn't sure how I was going to make it. I received everything from food, personal hygiene items, clothing, Christmas gifts for the children, and household items. The emotional support was the greatest. They were there. All these women changed my life. Today, I hold a full-time job with a major health insurance company. I completed a full-time comprehensive office training course, in which I maintained an "A" average throughout the program. I have now obtained my property and casualty license in insurance and have also become a notary for the State of Ohio. Not bad for a single mother with cancer, no self-esteem, and limited education.

Thanks to the Beatitude House Program, I have made it!

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Congratulations are in order to Beatitude House:
Education/Career preparation program graduate JOANNE WRIGHT who received an award grant for each of the 2 years (2000-2002) she is an Americorps Volunteer In Service to America (VISTA). The money will go toward her associate degree in criminal justice from Youngstown State University, where she has started classes.

JoAnne is VISTA Coordinator of the Youngstown Crime Prevention Resource Center in YSU Center for Urban Studies. JoAnne oversees all Block Watches in Youngstown. In her work as Block Watch coordinator, she serves as liaison between police, city council, and neighborhood Block Watch groups. She works with the Mayor's Task Force. She was elected to a one-year term as client board member for Northeast Ohio Legal Services (NOLS) and works for NOLS as an advocate in the Domestic Violence Court.

As is the usual case with the women who come to Beatitude House, JoAnne's road was not an easy one. She came to the education/career preparation program in Youngstown in 1996, after losing her job of 18 years when the hospital where she worked closed. She was left "unskilled, unemployed, desperate, afraid of losing everything I worked for (a car, a home, a college education for her son) for 18 years." Besides needing to update her computer and other job skills, she was suffering from serious health problems and had no insurance. Beatitude House helped her find health care as well as provided needed work skills.

When asked where she finds support, JoAnne doesn't hesitate to answer: "Faith and family." Her family has always been close. "There may be disagreements, but there is no division." She is a life-long member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, which is also family to her. The church community has always been there to embrace JoAnne and her son throughout any difficulty.

We at Beatitude House wish JoAnne and her family all the best and continued success. God Bless!

Carla's Story

Carla knows first hand many of the obstacles that Beatitude House participants face when they arrive at the program. She is the mother of four children and was suffering depression after the death of her sister. Also, one of her sons was born prematurely and needed special medical attention.

Knowing she needed to get some type of support, Carla went to the Burdman Group for counseling. (Burdman Group is one of the organizations with whom we collaborate for referrals and case management.) Burdman provided the motivation for Carla to move on with her life. That agency referred Carla to the Beatitude House education/career preparation program to see about studying for her nursing exam in an atmosphere of ongoing support.

Upon arrival at the program in April of 2001, Carla said she "felt comfortable." She placed her children in childcare to provide herself with time to look for career opportunities. Carla had to focus first on taking and passing the nursing exam; she used her time to get organized and to study. She was further motivated by her interaction with the women also in the program who are working to "accomplish something." She felt that if others can reach their goals, so could she. Carla continued to study and meet regularly with the counselor and case manager.

Carla took and passed the nursing exam. One year after beginning the program she has successfully met her initial goal. She said her children are thrilled for her. She feels she can be a positive role model for them and encourage them to continue their education and to try to do well.
The next step for Carla is to work as an LPN. She will work with Burdman, the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Beatitude House career counselor to do "job shadowing" to see where her interests lie. After gaining some hands-on experience, Carla would like to pursue the RN degree some time in the next two years.

Carla would like to emphasize the tremendous support offered by the staff and clients at Beatitude House. She says, "Just knowing someone is there who cares about you and your future makes it easier to go out and accomplish your goals."

Congratulations to Carla and all the women working hard to pursue their educational and career goals!

More Lives Transformed