"I now realized how much peace and calm God can bring into my life, that he has a plan for me and my desire to have a close relationship with him."
A letter from Christina
My name is Christina and my son’s name is Ruben and he is 6 years old. I have been living at Gilead House [GH] for 18 months. Since living at GH I have been able to accomplish so many of my personal goals; I have paid off 70% of my debt, my credit score has gone up by over 100 points, and I’ve held a job for the 18 months that I have lived here.
I have learned a lot from the Life Skills classes GH has offered me. I learned to manage my stress during challenging and uncertain times, as well as job search techniques that have helped me create a resume and develop interview techniques that will help me find and move up in my career. During parenting classes I learned and implemented new parenting techniques that have helped me deal with my child’s changing behaviors as we struggled to find stability and routine. Most importantly, I have learned to manage money and save so I can take control of my finances.
Working with Ginger Strickland during our weekly Chasing Hope really strengthened my belief in God and my desire to have a close relationship with Him. Before living at Gilead House my spiritual beliefs were never a big part of my life. I’ve always believed in God but never established much of a relationship with Him. I now realized how much peace and calm God can bring into my life, that He has a plan for me and my desire to have a close relationship with Him. I am very grateful for that.
"While moving in and out of shelters, my son was very confused, angry and sad. It hurt me deeply to see him so unhappy. (Since coming to Gilead House) he is now confident. The consistency in our lives has really given him a sense of security and he feels free. He has made a lot of friends with other children, moms and staff. "
While at GH I have learned that I am strong and resilient. Though there have been ups and downs in the time I have been at GH and throughout my entire life, my desire to succeed and provide a better future for myself and Ruben has always helped me push through the hard times.
"As a first-generation college student, I want to continue my education for as long as necessary. I would like to work in Real Estate and Property Management. I want to show my son that when you start something you finish it...and how important college is for his future. I hope to break the poverty cycle in my family."
I am currently working in Property Management as a Leasing Consultant and my goal is to get my Real Estate License and manage my own property and sell homes. During the quarantine I have completed my Real Estate Courses and just need to complete the state exam to get my license. I am studying for that now.
Thank you for your encouragement and support,
Christina