Antoinette, a single mother of five, came to New Life in June 2020.
Originally from Indiana, she moved her family out of state in 2018 for the sake of her son’s safety. She and her family stayed with her mother until early 2019, when her mother asked her to leave. A brief stay at the Olive Branch shelter followed, then a few months in an apartment of Antoinette’s own. First working as a childcare provider, before moving on to homecare for private clients for better pay, Antoinette worked hard to support her family and pay her bills. Money was tight, even with Antoinette working full time, as she was not receiving child support or assistance to supplement her wages. She was forced to vacate her apartment later that year as rent and utility bills piled up.
Antoinette and her children were homeless for a while, sleeping in cars and parks, as well as the occasional hotel room. She came to New Life in June 2020 with her family. Currently, her three daughters and two sons range in ages from 1 to 12. Our resident coordinators at New Life were able to connect Antoinette with local, private childcare for her younger children, while her older children attend school virtually at the shelter due to COVID.
Mother and Provider
Antoinette still works as a homecare provider, and has recently taken on a second job at Leader Services. Above all, she puts her children first, and makes sure she has time to catch up with each one of them individually at the end of every day, even if she is exhausted. Antoinette mentions that she was forced to be a mother to her own siblings when she was young, and she doesn’t want her children, especially her 12-year old daughter, to feel as if they have to grow up too fast and take on childcare responsibilities to their brothers and sisters. She wants them to play with baby dolls and toys, and enjoy their childhood.
The word “strong” does not even begin to describe Antoinette’s mindset. She says, “I’ve always wanted to help other people… I have to keep going every day for my kids.” She admits it took her a while to open up and ask for help from others, since she didn’t want to seem like a burden. Coming to New Life, she says, required Antoinette to change her viewpoints on how others could, and want, to help her. “Do you want a new life, or do you want your old life?” she says was a question she often asked herself.
Moving Forward
Today, Antoinette is working with New Life to get counseling services and family therapy for her and her children to work through the trauma they have experienced. Her mother is helping her with weekend childcare so Antoinette can keep working at her two jobs. She is also looking for apartments for her family, but has not found anything affordable yet. Antoinette wants to make sure that once she finds a place to live, her family will not have to experience homelessness again.
While Antoinette is taking steps towards a stable future, she struggles with the demands of everyday life. She feels reasonably frustrated that she must take on the enormous responsibility of supporting herself and her five children, both financially and emotionally, as a single parent. She is exhausted at the end of the day, after working two jobs and still managing to be a supportive, loving, and involved mother to her kids. However, it is a testament to her resilient character that despite everything she’s been through, she says, “Things could be worse. I tell that to my kids every day. We could be living on the streets again. But we aren’t.”
This is where you can help.
We are raising funds to pay for one year of Antoinette’s rent in a three-bedroom apartment in the Rogers Park neighborhood. Giving Antoinette a year of rent would allow her to save her wages and provide herself a sense of financial security. She would also be able to work fewer hours, and spend more rested and relaxed quality time with her kids. She would have time to attend family therapy without stressing about the fewer hours she would be working. It would give her a chance to live her life the way many of us do every day- not worrying about how much longer she has a roof over her head, wondering where her family’s next meals are coming from, or if she will be able to keep her utilities turned on.
Any dollar you can donate will mean a great deal to Antoinette’s family, and is an investment in the future of many families just like hers, who are homeless and struggling.