HOPE For My Daughter and I

“Everything takes time” is a phrase that Miranda knows all too well.  Employed but forced to sleep on couches, in motels, in cars and even on the streets because her income couldn’t cover rent, Miranda wasn’t sure how much time it would take before she and Dakota, her daughter, would have a safe place that they could call home.

Miranda felt hopeless every day while she was homeless. She had no support from the people closest to her – including her parents – during the time in her life that she needed them the most. It hurt, she said, but it “also made me push myself that much harder because I knew that I was the only one who could create a better life for Dakota and I.”

Miranda knew, however, that she could not necessarily move forward on her own and that led her to HOPE 4 Youth. “HOPE 4 Youth has helped me with everything,” she said, “They helped me look for an apartment, find resources that I needed, made sure we had clothes and gave Dakota and I warm meals when we were hungry. But most of all, they gave Dakota and I a place to go where I always knew I had people that would support me – they became the family support that I always needed.”

It was the support that she received that has changed her life. Currently, Miranda and Dakota live in their own apartment. A new bundle of joy will be joining their family soon and Miranda is more determined than ever to give herself and children the life she’s always dreamed of.

“I am so proud of the progress that I have made and don’t plan to stop here,” she added. Miranda received life-changing news recently from her employer, Cummins. After being employed as a temporary employee for a year, she has been hired on as a full-time employee. This will allow her to continue paying her bills on time, fix her credit and save for a new car. She also has long-term goals, including becoming a home owner.

Miranda constantly reminds herself that everything takes time and if you stick to it, you can achieve your dreams!