Success Stories

Allie

When I first came to Brighton Recovery Center (BRC), I was very broken and beat down. I had little to no hope that I was ever going to make it. I just couldn’t get my life on the right track. 

Gabby

Like many young people, I was unsure about what career path I wanted to follow in the future. I felt like I did not have a sense of what I was doing in my life. At 25, I was still living at home which caused some strain. This stress pushed me to go from job to job in hopes of landing one that I would love. However, I  was not fulfilled with where I was in life and that’s when I was connected to Center for Employment Training (CET) through the Kentucky Career Center. 

Donald

Donald is a Rapid Rehousing customer. He has been stably housed since September of 2018. He has been through so much, battling homelessness, addiction, mental health, being unemployed to being underemployed. Through our Rapid Re-Housing program, Donald and his partner were able to get connected to stable, affordable housing which was the first step in allowing them to continue on their path to reaching their hopes and dreams. 

Sequoya

Where do you want to be in five years is one of the hardest questions to answer for most. This question was especially daunting for me when I was dealing with housing instability and relying on family for support and just trying to make it one day at a time. That was my reality five years ago. I had the potential for an amazing future for myself and my daughter, Carmen. My only dilemma between the barriers I was facing and reaching my goals was “how”?  

Maria

Maria Tenjo, a Home Visitor with our Every Child Succeeds (ECS) program, utilizes her Spanish speaking skill set to serve the Latino community, supporting them in parenting, building community, and reaching self-sufficiency. ECS is a long-term parenting support program that supports families from pregnancy through infancy.

Stephanie’s Story

Stephanie was a State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA) who was considering her next career steps when she learned about Center for Employment Training’s Medical Assisting program in 2018.  Although she loved her job, the work was physical and was beginning to take a toll on her body.  Stephanie had always been interested in furthering her education in the medical field but the responsibility of caring for her family prevented her from following her dreams.

Jessica

You know the saying “it takes a village,” well, my village is Brighton Center.

Quinn

Quinn: Having a community is really nice and it’s really nice being able to admit that you don’t have to do it alone, but I didn’t always have that. 

Shawn

Shawn was working, but struggling to find housing he could afford. He spent some time couch-surfing and ended up staying at the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky. At the Emergency Shelter, staff informed Shawn of available resources, including how to apply for housing through the Housing Authority of Covington and programs at Brighton Center that might help. Shawn moved into his apartment in City Heights and shortly after learned we opened an office right in the neighborhood. 

Shawn had a goal – to get a car. To achieve that goal, Shawn knew he needed a better paying job and some guidance in money management. Initially looking to sign up for our Two Cents About Finance workshop, Shawn came to our City Futures office, but soon learned there was even more we could help with. “I tend to stay to myself and don’t ask for help,” Shawn said, “I thought, these are some good people and I think they’ll be able to help me.” 

Shawn was ready to get to work and learned that through City Futures his rent would stay the same despite changes in his earned income, allowing him to keep more of his earnings and encourage saving money. After signing up for the Jobs Plus Earned Income Disregard program, Shawn met with our City Futures Career Developer to discuss employment opportunities, his experience, and interests. 

Shawn expressed interest in Career Bridge, which is a partnership program between United Way, Partners for a Competitive Workforce, Brighton Center and local employers that provides a career pathway from entry-level, low-wage jobs to Advanced Manufacturing. Shawn started working for Chick-fil-A in March 2019 and has been a model employee ever since.
 
This journey hasn’t always been easy. It takes Shawn about 10 minutes to get to work by bus. However, he works second shift and the bus line that runs to City Heights stops running before he’s done with work. When Shawn gets off work he takes a different bus to get a little bit closer to home, then walks 40 minutes up the hill. 

Shawn’s determination has kept him going. Some nights he has thought about quitting on his way home but reminds himself that he has a good job and he needs the money. While his previous job was also in fast food, he is now making a much higher wage and working in a healthier, friendlier work environment. Shawn reminds himself of his goals – getting a car, a higher paying job, and spending more time on passions like writing. 

Shawn has continued to work with a Financial Coach through City Futures, has opened a bank account, and is saving for a car. Shawn is taking advantage of an Individual Development Account which matches his savings up to $2,000. 

Before working with Brighton Center, Shawn says life was more difficult and he felt unorganized. With the support of City Futures, Career Bridge, and Financial Wellness, Shawn said “life has changed for the better and everything is back in order.” Despite his own initial reluctance to seek out help, he encourages others to learn what Brighton Center has to offer.
 “There’s help out there – you just have to come in. They can help different people, all with different needs, and different situations.”

In December of 2019, at the City Futures end of the year celebration, Shawn was recognized for his hard work. “Getting the award made me feel good to know I’m doing well, and that the good I do is noticed by others.” Reflecting further on his involvement with Brighton Center, Shawn says “it’s never too late to start on your journey towards self-sufficiency.” What is this new reality like for Shawn? “It’s shocking, it’s different, but I know it’s what I deserve.” With stable housing, steady employment, a bank account, and savings, the future looks bright for Shawn.

City Futures is a collaborative partnership between Brighton Center and the Housing Authority of Covington. 

A new View With A Fresh Start

In late August, Brighton Center’s Street Outreach Team came in contact with three youth (all over the age of 18), who had been living outside on the grounds of Newport High School’s stadium, where they were sleeping on bleachers. Street Outreach began meeting with the youth daily at the library, assessing their needs, and providing food and hygiene supplies. With their parents deceased, and no family to rely on, the youth were given a tent to have shelter in the woods while they worked toward a more stable option.  

Unfortunately, the tent, their only shelter, was vandalized one day while they were working and they no longer felt safe staying there. They found a person that would allow them to sleep in their tent in their backyard for $50 a week. The youth visited Hosea House as often as possible to have a warm meal.   

They were connected to Kentucky Career Center to learn about job training opportunities and obtain the necessary documents to seek employment.  Street Outreach staff learned that one of the youth was very close to getting her high school diploma, but traditional school was not an option as this youth was working. She was connected to the Newport School of Innovation to finish her diploma through online schooling with classroom support. 

Street Outreach referred the youth to Welcome House for their transitional living program. They began meeting with a Welcome House Case Manager about housing options. They needed to find a landlord that would rent to them, and Street Outreach made several contacts. Welcome House provided funding for a deposit and first month’s rent. In an effort to be able to maintain their housing, the youth were required to maintain employment.

Street Outreach helped in any way possible to create a successful transition to stable housing. This included helping with laundry, showering facilities, and rides to interviews or bus passes.

The three are now actively employed, reaching their educational goals, and have obtained a safe place to live through a collaboration with Welcome House. The youth are also still actively involved in aftercare services through Street Outreach to make sure they continue on the path toward stability, success, and achieving their goals. 

Brighton Center’s Street Outreach Team is out in the community where youth are known to congregate. Staff work to build trusting relationships with at-risk youth in order to connect them to services.  Once connected, staff use preventative methods, individualized assessment, service linkages, case planning, and follow-up to set youth on the path to stabilization.