Mary is a single mother with two teenage sons. “I have been working and making my own way since I was a sixteen-year-old girl. But when my mother got sick and needed someone to care for her, I quit working to help her. After mom lost her battle with cancer, I thought we would be able to stay in her house until I could find work. The landlord only gave me thirty days. No money, no job, no childcare, and not enough time.

My children and I couch surfed for months. I tried to find housing. I applied for public housing and was put on a list. I looked for places that would accept me and my sons-no one accepted my teen sons. I had searched everywhere in desperate need of help. Then we were referred to the shelter at the YWCA.”

A case manager immediately enrolled her sons into the school system and helped her develop a plan to reach her self-identified goals: find employment, get her GED, and secure a home for her children. “I participated in GED, parenting, wellness, and budgeting classes at the YWCA. I learned so much in every one of them. Today, I am proud to say that I have obtained my GED, became an employee at the Marriott Hotel, and will get housing at the Millennium apartment complex. I want my story to be a testimony for other women who need help; if I can do it, you can too! The YWCA Central Indiana accepted me. They want to help women become successful. They gave me the encouragement and support that I needed to get back on my feet.”