Client Stories
Early Childhood Education Benefits the Child and Family
Ambrosia
Ambrosia is a single parent with four children. One of her children completed CUB’s Early Childhood Education program and went on to kindergarten, where her teacher reports that she is progressing above average for her age. Her two boys are still in the program.
Due to early screening for vision and other needs at school, one of the boys now has the eyeglasses he needs and is also receiving speech/language therapy and developing very well.
Because her family is involved with CUB, Ambrosia was able to study Medical Assisting while also working. She is currently enrolled at Cincinnati State where she is studying Respiratory Care and Nursing.
Michael
When Michael gained custody of his granddaughter, he enrolled her in CUB’s College Hill East preschool. He was so impressed with what the three-year old was learning, he took his five-year old twin sons out of a private preschool and enrolled them in College Hill East too. Michael said, “The only educated person at [the private preschool] was the director. At CUB all the teachers are educated. They have college degrees.”
Kimberly
When the teachers at Millvale realized that they had a single parent of two who had become homeless, they helped secure housing for the family and adopted the family for Christmas, providing coats, boots, socks, clothing, and toys. When the Family Service Worker spoke with the parent, Kimberly, after the holiday and asked, “How was your Christmas?” the parent replied, with tears in her eyes, “Thanks to all of you, my children had a Christmas.”
Michelle
At the beginning of the school year, a teacher noticed that one of her students, Michelle, was more prepared than the others. Michelle could write her name; she knew the alphabet. The teacher asked Michelle’s mom how her child had gotten ready for kindergarten, and she said Michelle had attended a Cincinnati Union Bethel preschool.
To visit the national Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center to hear more parent and family stories, click here.
Anna Louise Inn is a Safe Home
Sarah
After losing her job, Sarah’s daughter recommended that she move to the Anna Louise Inn as an affordable place to live. In addition to a safe home, she has found a new family of women. When recently asked where she would live if she did not live at the Inn, after pausing, she responded, “I guess at a nursing home, which would be boring.” One thing Sarah loves about living at the Anna Louise Inn is the many friendships she has built. She and another woman on her floor knock on the wall between their rooms each evening before going to sleep to let the other know that she is okay.
Becky
In high school, Becky started using drugs recreationally. When her habit increased, it strained her relationship with her family, who insisted she go to rehab. After several visits to treatment centers, Becky was sober and starting over. The Anna Louise Inn provided the perfect place to live while she got her life back together. She needed time to save money, and she wanted a place where she felt safe so she could focus on staying sober each day. For a year, she lived at the Inn before getting an apartment of her own and reuniting with her daughter.
Anna
Anna graduated from a local college and earned a Master’s degree. Diagnosed with mental health issues, she has had difficulty finding employment. Sometimes her symptoms are bad; sometimes they aren’t bad. When she has an episode, it is difficult for her to leave her room. When she is feeling better, she is a productive worker. Right now, she finds comfort in living at the Anna Louise Inn, where she won’t be judged for her struggle with mental health issues.
Victoria
After graduating from a local high school, Victoria was set to start college at UC. Instead she wanted to pursue a modeling career. Her mom came with her to see the Anna Louise Inn, the only place Victoria could afford while trying to be a model. Her mom valued the safety of the building and the feeling of community among the women. Victoria moved in and for two years, she tried to break into modeling, traveling once to California for an assignment. Now that modeling is “out of her system,” Victoria has enrolled in college for a nursing degree, and she appreciates the affordability of the Anna Louise Inn even more as she pays for classes.
Off the Streets because of Off the StreetsSM(OTS)
Valerie
Valerie lived in abandoned buildings, abused heroin, and was involved in prostitution for over 11 years. She once shared a story of waking up after a rainy day and cold night and having to thaw her frozen clothes before putting them on. After being arrested, she asked her judge to sentence her to Off the Streets. During her time in the program, she was connected to medical care and began attending 12-step meetings. Today she is living in her own apartment and is studying graphic design in college. She has maintained a 4.0 GPA through her first 2 years and regularly visits OTS to offer encouragement to new women in the program.
Shelly
Shelly was referred to the program while incarcerated in the Hamilton County Justice Center. She had four prior prostitution charges and one prior drug related conviction. She had been living in an unsafe situation with an abusive boyfriend.
During her eight months in the program, she was provided with an Emergency Shelter Room and connected to needed substance abuse and mental health services. After she obtained employment, she turned to finding her own housing.
At graduation, she was still employed and had her own housing. She also reported that she had been sober and not involved in prostitution for nine months, the longest amount of time that she could ever remember! She has had no new arrests.
Tonya
Tonya had been homeless for numerous years prior to being referred to OTS while incarcerated at the Hamilton County Justice Center. In the year prior to engaging in OTS, Tonya was convicted of two drug related offenses and three prostitution offenses.
Tonya lived in an Emergency Shelter Room during her initial engagement in the program. She was also connected to medical care and substance abuse services. Building on her self-identified strengths, she obtained a job selling cars with a local dealership.
In fact, she made a sale just prior to attending her graduation! She continues work selling cars and maintains her own housing. She has also been free from involvement in prostitution and drugs for ten months and has had no new arrests.
Laura
While Laura had no prior prostitution convictions, she had numerous drug related offenses. She was referred to Off the Streets after revealing to her Drug Court probation officer that she regularly engaged in prostitution. She had been in numerous other treatment programs without success and was on the verge of being sent to the penitentiary.
During her nine months with OTS, she lived in an Emergency Shelter Room and was connected to substance abuse and mental health services. While she did obtain a probation violation during her engagement in the program, the judge continued her participation in OTS instead of ordering incarceration based on her progress at OTS.
A week prior to graduation, she was successfully terminated from probation. She continues to maintain her own housing and reports no longer being engaged in prostitution and has had no new arrests.
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