Author: Kimberly Jackson-Luzader

Catherina Kamara, 17: Last Guardians

Hi, my name is Catherine Kamara and my son Isaiah and I came to Florence Crittenton Services February 2007. I was 17yrs old & my son was 4wks old. Finding out that my step-mother no longer wanted to care for me & was willing to give my son and I up for custody was devastating. At the age of eleven I lost my mother & less then a year later I lost my father & honestly the only person I had as a guardian was my step-mother who promised my biological parents that she’ll care for my siblings & I & be there for us no matter what. But January 18,2007 when my newborn was only 5 days old she made that very clear that everything she told my parents was nothing but lies. The day DSS was called to my house by my school social workers was the same day both my son & I was placed in the foster care system. That second when I heard my foster care social worker’s supervisor on the phone said “Alright we have no other choice but to place them both in foster care” I literally thought my life was over & I automatically thought my son will be lost in the system forever because I was turning 18 & aging out of the system. I was devastated, scared, nervous, & felt like there was absolutely no hope that I’ll ever accomplish anything to prove to my child that I want a better future for him. That night the Alamance County DSS removed us out of my house I made my social worker promise me that she’ll never separate my son & I. I’m proud to say that she held up to her promise & fought hard to find a place that will accept both my son & I, & that’s when the Alamance County DSS found FCS which has a program call Sarah’s House (a Mother & Child program).. Upon my arrival to FCS I promised myself that I will not allow anything to block me from my goals. I had to let go of a lot of negative things in my life in order for me to stay focus on a brighter future for the little child I brought into this world. Many days & nights I cried my eyes out & wanted to give up but the staff members at FCS who looked at me as their own child reminded me daily of how bright of a future I have ahead of me. My son’s first home was FCS, his first brothers/sisters were the many kids in Sarah’s House, he has so many Aunties & Grandmas at FCS that till this day he still remembers them by name & they’ll do anything for him. My plan was to never get close as I did with majority of the residents at FCS, some of them are as close to me as blood sisters & I love them dearly. I was so scared of the foster care system because of what I heard growing up as a child, but the county I had when I was in foster care showed me a completely different outcome of the system & FCS just put the cherry on top of the stress free life that they offered me & my child. There was no stressing in when I’ll be able to eat again, or who will pay this month’s bills, all I worried about was learning how to be a wonderful mother to my child & finishing my education. FCS was the biggest stepping stone God has ever blessed me with & because of them I was able to complete my GED & start college courses majoring in Criminal Justice, & when I left FCS I left there with $15000 to start a new healthy life with my son, I am one semester away from starting police academy & hopefully later in life I’ll be a Homicide Detective. After I left FCS I was asked by The National Crittenton Foundation to go to Florida to tell my story along with the many other woman/girls who are or were at FCS, & that was a huge success because I met girls who walked in the same pathway that I walked on or even worse. After the first conference with The National Crittenton Foundation myself along with a few other women were chosen to be advocates to tell our journey when we once lived at FCS. I was blessed enough to share my story with many Congress Men & Women, the beautiful Gabrielle Union, & did a television segment with my lovely Crittenton Ladies who I have falling in love with & have gotten closer then ever with. The Ladies of The National Crittenton Foundation is working on a project now call B.O.L.D which means Bringing Opportunity Love & Determination.. So please be on a close lookout for a BOLD coming to a city near you. 🙂

The opportunities FCS granted my son & I are unbelievable & words alone can not express how grateful I am for them & most of all for Charles Crittenton who had a big heart to make a change for troubling girls like myself.

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Story #9

Story #9

Florence Crittenton Services has been a part of my life for nearly 30 years. It was love at first sight! It would take many, many words to describe this long lasting relationship. My first memory is that Womens’ Council of Homebuilders hosted off-site picnics for the residents with an abundance of donated food and gifts for residents and their babies-to-be. Subsequently, I became a member of the Crittenton Auxilliary (still a member), chaired the Auxillary, served on and chaired the Board of Directors and presently serve on the Board of Advisers.

I fondly recall organizing and participating in numerous plant sales, bake sales, auctions, yard sales, etc. to raise money for the Auxilliary’s Scholarship Fund. I’m so grateful we have been able to assist many past and present residents further their education and seek a career path that enables them (and their children) to be productive citizens.

In October 2010, my husband and I relocated to the coast of North Carolina. Although I am physically removed from the actual location of Crittenton, its staff and residents remain very much a part of my heart and my life. It is definitely not a case of out of sight, out of mind. .What a joy it is to see healthy babies born to young women who make positive life changes as a result of counseling, expertise and love poured out during their brief stint at Crittenton. I am truly blessed to be a part of this dedicated and hard working organization.

If you like the stories we have been sharing, please consider giving a gift to support these girls and women and their families.
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L, 18: Achiever

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

This is just a letter to “Thank you.” When I first arrived here, I automatically knew that I didn’t want to be here, but it took no time for me to get myself going in the right direction. Since being here I have completed my GED, thanks to the scholarship fund, and I found a job that I love. I never thought I would ever complete some of the goals that I have set for myself over the years, but now I have.
Being at Florence Crittenton has been the best experience for me, not only for myself, but for me as a mom. I hear a lot of girls say that they don’t like being here, but for me I have enjoyed my stay and the staff! The girls say that they have never heard of a success story out of Florence Crittenton, you can now tell them that you found one in me.
For those who don’t know, beginning this fall I will become a full time student majoring in criminal justice.
Again thank you from the bottom of my heart, you have blessed me in more ways than one!

God Bless,
Always

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https://crittentonofnc.org/giving-opportunities/

R, 21: Teaching Love

Praise from Facebook:

I am a former resident of Florence Crittenton. My son
was born at FCS and being there was a great experience
for me. Florence Crittenton gave me the resources
that I needed to bring a child into this world alone. My
son is now 3 years old and is doing amazingly well all
because FCS taught me what I needed to know to be a
wonderful parent.

Thanks to all the Florence Crittenton staff members,
who put up with my stubbornness!”

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Katie Becker, 14: New Hope

My parents were hippies and moved to Western North
Carolina to start a commune. We lived in a cabin without
electricity for five years. My family was poor and there was
a lot of dysfunction. My mother would take off for weeks
or months at a time and I, as the oldest girl, had to take
care of my five siblings. By 13 my mom was gone for good.
I was raising my brothers and sisters while my father
worked 60-70 hours a week. My father had a long fuse, but
when he reached the end of it he could be brutal.
I got pregnant when I was 14 and during one violent
episode, my father slapped me so hard I could feel the
bones in my spine pop. I was afraid for the baby and me,
and a guidance counselor and favorite teacher told me
about Florence Crittenton Services in Charlotte. I told my
dad I was leaving and would not be back. I released the
baby for adoption to my aunt and returned to Crittenton
to live in an apartment for girls who had released for
adoption. I stayed in a foster home, lived with a boyfriend
and in a boarding house and then wherever I could lay my
head. Even though my living situation was unstable,
I played on the basketball team, was senior class president
and attended prom. UNC-Charlotte was the only college I applied to and
I was accepted. I became pregnant and had three
sons while in undergrad. When I finally graduated
my sons were five, three and 10 months old.
After college I worked in a law firm, having told
my father at age four that I wanted to be a lawyer.
When my youngest was six I began law school here
in Charlotte, working, raising my sons and going to
law school at night. I will graduate from law school
almost 10 years to the day I graduated from UNCC.
My future is wide open.
Throughout the 20 years I have been in Charlotte,
Florence Crittenton has played an integral role in
my life. The support I have received and continue
to receive has been considerable and on-going.
Florence Crittenton has become a family to me, and
I know that when I graduate next May, I will see the
usual faces in the crowd supporting me.”
—Katie Becker
FCS advocate and volunteer

T, 15: Second Family

In a few days it will be a year ago that I came to Florence
Crittenton, and I will never forget that day. Living with
my friend and her family was more of a struggle than I
had anticipated. I never imagined I would find out that I
was pregnant and that my friend’s family would fall into
such a financial struggle. Everyday I went to bed hungry,
and every morning I woke up just hoping there would
be something that I could eat. I would pass out because
I was not eating enough. The day I found out I had
Hepatitis B my friend’s mom told me to go to a shelter,
I was devastated. I felt like an animal that was being
caged. I could not be more thankful that I ended up at
Crittenton. I felt a sense of relief once I walked through
the doors. I don’t know if I was more excited about being
fed or having a place of my own to sleep. Everyone there
became my family, all the staff and all the residents. I felt
so welcomed and loved by everyone there. I just want to
thank you for everything you did for me and my daughter.
I cannot thank you enough.”
—email from a former client

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Story #3

Story #3

In a few days it will be a year ago that I came to Florence Crittenton, and I will never forget that day. Living with my friend and her family was more of a struggle than I had anticipated. I never imagined I would find out that I was pregnant and that my friend’s family would fall into such a financial struggle. Everyday I went to bed hungry, and every morning I woke up just hoping there would be something that I could eat. I would pass out because I was not eating enough. The day I found out I had Hepatitis B my friend’s mom told me to go to a shelter,
I was devastated. I felt like an animal that was being caged. I could not be more thankful that I ended up at Crittenton. I felt a sense of relief once I walked through the doors. I don’t know if I was more excited about being fed or having a place of my own to sleep. Everyone there became my family, all the staff and all the residents. I felt so welcomed and loved by everyone there. I just want to thank you for everything you did for me and my daughter. I cannot thank you enough.”
—email from a former client

Story #2

110 stories, in 110 days, to celebrate 110 years of service

Story #2

Why I work at Florence Crittenton Services:

39 years ago there was a teenager who became pregnant by her high school sweetheart. She was 16 years old and terrified to tell her mother. The teen reached out to her older sister who was studying to be a nurse in Washington, D.C. Her older sibling told her that she did not need a baby because she was still in school.
She was still terrified and undecided about what to do. She finally talked with her mother and they found out about Florence Crittenton Services. The teen was about to enter her senior year in high school and wanted to finish but could not bear the thought of returning to her high school while she was pregnant. So the teen attended the day school at Florence Crittenton Services and was able to finish high school. She went on to become a successful mother and has always been thankful of the support she received at Florence Crittenton. What she went through was tough but she did not have to face it alone.

I first heard this story when I was applying to work at Florence
Crittenton. I mentioned the name to my mother who told me this story. So my working here is in dedication to my mother’s struggle as a teen parent to find a place where she could be supported, continue to pursue her goals and make the choice to have me. So that is what has kept me here this long. I am living proof of health and hope.”
—FCS Staff Member

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Jackie, 18: Runaway to Home

Hello, I’m Jackie. I am 18 years old and come from a small town in North Carolina. When I got pregnant and said I was going to have my baby, my family handed me my birth certificate and said to me, “you’re homeless.” “You’re so stupid; do you even know what you’re doing?” They quickly called the police to report me as a runaway. They had brought me my belongings in three trash bags. My uncle and his girlfriend also reminded me that my mother had just gotten locked up the night before on a drug bust. So I had nowhere to turn to and no place to go.
I was placed in foster home. My foster parents took me in like I was a part of the family. They were so kind and nice, and until this day I still keep in contact with them and go to visit them in their home. They will always be family in my heart.
I left their house on June 2011 to come to Charlotte. My social worker told me about a place called “Florence Crittenton,” a program that would give me all the help I would need while being a pregnant teen and a teen parent. When I came to FCS I was sad, probably because of all of the pregnancy hormones, but also because I was leaving both my foster family and my biological family. During my stay in the maternity wing, there became a bond between me and all of the other girls, like a sisterhood. Even though I was the youngest, we were all at the same places in our lives, wondering what was next.
In August, I moved downstairs to “Sarah’s House,” and on September 20, 2011 at 5:51 am my beautiful, healthy 6lbs 12 oz 19 in baby girl came into this world. Having carried her for nine months really changed my life. It made me grow up because I knew I was bringing a child into this world and I had to set an example for her. During my pregnancy, I attended school every day and maintained A’s and B’s. When I looked into her eyes for the first time, I knew what I had to do. I knew that I wanted to provide her with a better life than I had. I was going to break a generation curse on my mom’s side and be a part of my daughter’s life and show her true love.
I started doing what I do best and applied myself in school harder and started getting back into my artwork. Through my artwork I captured the hearts of many.
I am currently on the verge of graduating, as number ten in my class. I am also a participant with the Mayor’s Youth Employment.
I want to become a graphic designer, and then eventually become an art director. To give back to my community or possibly the world, I want to start a program helping people who have been through domestic and sexual abuse.
I would also like to become a motivational speaker, telling my story of my own sexual abuse experience. In the end, I just want to plant a seed in this earth, knowing that it will never die. Just like a church hymn I remember singing, “I just can’t give up now, because I have come too far from where I started from.” So I am going to keep going because I know if I believe, I can achieve.