“I was a good kid. I got good grades, kept the house clean, and cooked for the family, but no matter what I did, my mother did not love me. One night, she dragged me out of bed because there were dirty dishes in the sink. She beat me and threatened to bury me in the backyard. I ran away the next day. I was 14 years old, homeless, and scared. At age 16, when I found out I was pregnant, I reached out to my mom for help. She told me to get lost.
Coming to Children’s Harbor has been an answer to my prayers. Everyone is so nice, and they have taught me how to be a good mother. It still hurts that my mother does not want to be in my life or know her granddaughter, but I am giving my daughter the love I never got. I am completing my GED and working part-time to make a better life for us when we leave Children’s Harbor.”