Kenyatta, a single mother of two, has called Charlotte home for nearly 13 years.
As the self-described “mama bear” to her 16-year-old daughter and 23-year-old son, Kenyatta has created a tight-knit family unit built on connection and tough love.
“We’re real close,” she shares with pride.
Despite everyone’s busy work schedules – the entire family works together at a local grocery store – she makes sure they take time to enjoy each other’s company walking their dog, window shopping at the mall, or sharing their favorite meals together.
When Kenyatta first entered the Charlotte Family Housing program, she remembers feeling “angry” and “mad at the world.” Facing homelessness and overwhelmed with responsibilities, she was beaten down and forced into survival mode.
“I had to pray and find strength to keep going,” she reflects. “It was God that gave me the strength to keep fighting, because there were plenty of times I could have lost my mind throughout the whole homelessness situation.”
She discovered that by encouraging others through their difficulties, even when facing unbearably hard moments in her own life, she saw her inner strength multiply. “The more that I encouraged others, it helped me. It made me stronger,” she shares.
Her kind and resilient spirit paired with a focused mindset helped her master essential skills like financial management, budgeting, and finding the balance between caring for others and caring for herself. These tools led her to achieve long-standing goals, including paying off her car and becoming completely financially self-sufficient.
When asked when she felt most mighty, Kenyatta’s answer came without hesitation: “I felt mighty when I paid my car off, and when I could pay my own bills by myself now.” Her achievements represent not just financial milestones but profound moments of self-reliance and courage.
Along with reaching her biggest financial goals, Kenyatta feels more herself than ever before. “People who knew me a few years ago don’t even recognize me now,” she reports. Her anger at the world has melted away and been replaced with gratitude for how far she’s come and for the impactful people she’s met along the way.
“I’m proud because I’m not where I used to be, and I’m in a better space now. I can achieve more. I feel so much better about myself and my life.”
This story is part of our “Mighty Like A Mother” series celebrating Mother’s Day and honoring the strength of mothers in our community.