Shiba

"I was in a situation that was fight or flight. I decided to leave and fight for a better future for myself and two kids."

A friend of mine in Cleveland offered to let me stay with her to start over. One day in 2014, during my lunch break from work, I decided it was time. I packed up the kids and started driving North from our home in the South. I got to Northern Kentucky, about five hours from my friend, when I received a call that staying with her was no longer an option. Suddenly, we were homeless and living in a hotel room. We ended up at Women’s Crisis Center. 

As I was being connected to services through Women’s Crisis Center, I heard about Brighton Center’s Center for Employment Training and enrolled in the Business and Computer Technologies skill division. I needed something to focus on other then my situation and I put 110% into it. After six months, I found a job and completed the course. While at CET, I overheard a staff member talking about Northern Kentucky Scholar House and said right then and there, ‘sign me up, I am ready to go, where ever you are building it, I will be there!’ When she told me they had just broken ground, and were holding information sessions, I made sure to be the first one there. I would often stop by during construction just to ask if they were done yet. 

I was finally able to move into a three bedroom apartment in September of 2015. Northern Kentucky Scholar House and Brighton Center are unique, there is nothing else like it. We now have stable housing and all the barriers that I had are removed. I can focus on everything I thought I would never get to. Going to college was not important to me in the past, but now I have the opportunity pursue my dreams. I am currently enrolled at Gateway Community and Technical College in Communications while also taking Public Relations classes at Northern Kentucky University. I plan on completing my Bachelor’s Degree and possibly pursuing a Master’s Degree. 

I am so proud of my personal journey and where I came from. I can see my own growth with the help of Brighton Center. It’s like I have a whole new life. The holistic wrap around services are amazing. From basic assistance with food and clothing to everything in between. You can come in for one thing and end up getting more help then you ever imagined.

I now have the time to volunteer and spend my days giving back as much as I can. I often share my experience with other people and I enjoy seeing the work that goes into helping others from start to finish. 

If you really want to stand on your own two feet, this is the place to do it. I came to Kentucky in 2014 with only clothing, the truck I drove, and my two small children. I was like a mouse in a maze looking for the next opened door. When I discovered Brighton Center, there were so many opportunities available all in one place. With their help, I was able to plant my feet on solid ground, and make my way back to independence. Brighton Center did something that not even my own family could do. They provided me and my family with direction and support that is unmatched. Saying that Brighton Center has enriched our lives is an understatement. I feel as though Brighton Center saved our lives.