Before she found BHI, 20-year-old Donnelle’s day started early.  She caught her first bus at 5:00 a.m., and if she was lucky and the busses were running on-time, she caught her second at 7:15 a.m.  Every day she was up before the sun, dressing herself and her young son, and dashing to the bus stop to take the two-bus, two-hour trek to work: a six-hour shift making sandwiches at Harris Teeter.  No benefits, $8.50 per hour, and the commute home was just as difficult.  She spent a lot of time on those busses wondering how her life was going to change.  She had no money saved, no formal education, no affordable child care (relying mostly on an ever-changing group of semi-dependable friends and family members), and no idea of what kind of career she should pursue.  But she loved her son and was dedicated to the promise of “something better.”

Donnelle heard about BHI through a friend at her church.  The friend knew Donnelle wanted to continue her education, and remembered the hard decision Donnelle had made when Donnelle decided to forgo starting college with her peers and dedicate herself to raising her new baby boy.  The friend suggested Donnelle apply to the program and encouraged her to follow up monthly with the BHI staff to find out where she was on the wait list and when the staff anticipated that there would be an opening at the program.  When Donnelle’s interview call finally came in, her church friend drove her to the interview and encouraged her to stay positive and show the staff her energy and her love for her baby.  The BHI staff always say that Donnelle was their shining star that day!

 As a new resident at BHI, Donnelle was asked to do a lot of new things.  She had to make a time schedule, document her parenting questions and concerns, attend “house meetings” with her roommates,  participate in group counseling, and be home by 9:00 p.m. every night!  At first Donnelle was overwhelmed with all of the changes and was unsure if she had made the right decision, but after a couple of months she was able to settle in to the first healthy home and the first healthy routine she and her son had ever had.  Most of all, Donnelle was excited about the career plan she had made with BHI’s Job Readiness and Education Specialist, Jennifer Gajdosik.  Donnelle and Ms. Jennifer researched many options and decided that Year Up, a technology training program that focused on computer hardware, software, and completing an internship, was the best course of action for Donnelle.

Within a few months of becoming a BHI resident, Donnelle was accepted into the Year Up program where she earned a weekly stipend greater than her former pay at the deli counter. At Year Up she learned the skills she needed to work as a computer technician; at BHI she learned the skills she needed to be independent and self-sufficient.  Donnelle spent days at her Year Up internship and nights at BHI, learning how to deal with sensitive issues, how to properly and responsibly parent her son, and how to talk about her feelings without anger or resentment. When Donnelle learned to make and keep a budget, she was able to resign from Harris Teeter, switch to a licensed daycare center, and she became eligible for more community benefits and support. After a total of 18 months with BHI, and with the help of Arlington County’s Housing Grant, Donnelle transitioned from BHI holding a full-time position as a Help Desk Technician at $45,000 per year plus full benefits!  With BHI’s guidance, Donnelle bought a reliable car, moved to her own apartment, and joined the PTA at her son’s school.

Recently Donnelle came back to one of BHI’s Group Nights to talk to our current residents about her experience in the program.  One of the girls asked Donnelle “where would you be if you didn’t finish the BHI program?”  Donnelle laughed, smiled and said “I’d be in bed right now ‘cause I’d have to take the 5:00 a.m. to the 7:15 a.m. to get to my job at the deli counter.”

 “I’ve come a long way,” she said, “and you can do it, too!  Just stay busy, stay healthy, and stick with BHI.”