Monique

While pregnant with her first child at age 20, Monique was "couch surfing" at the homes of family and friends.

Wanting to begin her motherhood journey by finding permanent housing for her family, Monique discovered ACCESS.

She attended many of the classes being offered by ACCESS, including budgeting and the Home Again workshop, even while working full-time during the day. Before her son was born, Monique secured permanent housing, and thanks to the fact that she completed the Home Again workshop, she was able to qualify for assistance with the security deposit and her first month's rent. In addition, Monique was able to receive a voucher to have her new home fully furnished, which helped her feel more prepared for her upcoming baby. On her first night in her new home, Monique remembers feeling proud of her success, but knew she did not want to return to her previous situation.

Then, in 2022, her journey came full circle. Now a mother of three, Monique happened to come across a job posting for a child care associate at ACCESS. She was flooded with memories of how much help the child care providers at ACCESS were to her during her journey, and she felt she needed to pay it forward. She applied for, and obtained the position. Now, Monique is a valued member of the ACCESS team!