The Place To Be For A Single Mom
Taylor’s Story
Growing up in a small country town in the South, Taylor remembers living in an upper-middle-class family, and life was good. She recalls fun family vacations, a nice home, and never doing without anything she wanted or needed. She was a good kid and was always respectful of her parents. However, around age 14, she was introduced to marijuana. She drifted toward the wrong crowd and started drinking and partying. Soon, she was doing heavier drugs, which continued through high school.
Taylor graduated and headed to college. Her goal was to be a nurse, but she struggled because of the drug use. She couldn’t juggle everything. She would start classes but couldn’t finish. Eventually, she dropped out of college.
Breaking away
The drug use continued, and she found herself pregnant. Despite knowing what drugs could do to a baby in pregnancy, she couldn’t stop. She started seeing a counselor and would get sober for a little bit but then go back to using. Her sister-in-law found a Teen Challenge program in Louisville, Priscilla’s Place. Moving away from her drug-using friends is what Taylor needed to get clean. After finishing the treatment program at Priscilla’s Place, they referred her to Lifehouse Maternity Home to finish her pregnancy and begin working on her goal to become a nurse.
Taylor loved Lifehouse. “It was so clean and made me feel like I was back home, complete with a grocery list on the refrigerator where I could write down the food I wanted. I felt safe.”
At Lifehouse, Taylor found a community of women who were also facing unexpected pregnancies. After having a healthy baby boy, Taylor enrolled in nursing school. “Balancing school, work, and caring for my son, along with my responsibilities at Lifehouse, can be difficult. But I see the bigger picture. It would be so much harder to do all of this on my own. Here, I can focus on school and saving money, and I don’t have to worry about losing my housing and being on the street.”
Living at Lifehouse wasn’t without its challenges. “There are many different personalities with different participants and staff. I’ve had to learn conflict resolution and compromise. I learned it is not always all about me.” Taylor loves watching her son play with the other kids. “It is like an extended family. Having other moms around helps me not feel lonely. There is always someone to talk to, whether it’s another mom, a House Mom, a Case Manager, or other staff members.” She also loves the personal, encouraging notes the House Moms send. “My son and I get so much love here,” she adds.
Regarding the value of hard work and consistency, Taylor says, “I never would have been this far in nursing school or saved money. I can find clothes for myself and my son in the clothing closet here. It’s always fun when a donor drops off something or sends something. It’s like getting a present! That’s helped me save so much because my son is growing out of clothes so fast. Lifehouse has helped me worry less about making money to make ends meet and taught me more about budgeting and saving money.”
A growing faith and a future
Taylor says her faith has grown while at Lifehouse. She finds time to reflect on the Bible by doing devotionals and attending Bible study. “I am passionate about learning about God. When life throws a curve ball, sometimes our faith is the first thing to go, but I know that God is always there for me.”
Taylor has one year of nursing school left. She believes if it weren’t for Lifehouse, she would have given up. “Being at Lifehouse has gotten me farther than I ever would have been. I learned structure, and I needed structure. Without it, things are ten times harder. I may have started drinking again, which could have led me to relapse into using drugs.”
Thankful for the impact Lifehouse has had on her and her son, Taylor says, “Lifehouse is changing lives. For someone looking to make a change in their life for the better, this is the place to be for a single mom. I believe it was truly God-led that I ended up here.”
She plans to live at Lifehouse for the full four years. “Finishing nursing school is number one! I hope to start working as a nurse and save up more money, then I want to move closer to family and buy a house.”
“I will miss the way it feels when I come into Lifehouse after school or work and smell dinner being made. It just feels so much like a home.”
“Lifehouse is changing lives. For someone looking to make a change in their life for the better, this is the place to be for a single mom.”