Alexandra's Story

Alexandra is a mother of 2 children, Alexxia who is 4, and Adonis who is 1 year old. Alexandra grew up in foster care because her biological mother was unable to care for her due to severe mental health issues. Her foster mom, unfortunately, also had mental health issues and mistreated Alexandra and her siblings. Alexandra became homeless for the first time at the age of 16 when she left her foster mother's home because she would no longer take the mistreatment and abuse. Alexandra lived from house to house with various friends for several years before obtaining her own housing when her daughter Alexxia was born. Alexandra wanted to improve the quality of life for herself and her children, so she decided to relocate from Chicago to Des Moines. When she initially moved here, the only support Alexandra had was her cousin, and she could not stay with her because there was not enough room. Alexandra came to Hawthorn Hill's New  Directions Shelter program so she could work on becoming independent and stand on her own two feet.

 

While at New Directions Shelter, Alexandra obtained childcare for her children and spent the majority of her time looking for employment and housing. Furthermore, during her stay at the Shelter, Alexandra worked hard and followed through with all community referrals provided to her by the case managers. While at the Shelter, Alexandra applied for Hawthorn Hill's The Home Connection which is a permanent supportive housing program. Alexandra was accepted into the program and is working closely with her case manager to establish goals to work towards financial independence. Alexandra meets on a weekly basis with her Hawthorn Hill case manager and is working on tracking her spending, budgeting her money , saving, and paying off past debts. Additionally, she is working on getting her children into therapy and seeking professional help with her daughter 's behavioral issues. Alexandra wants to be involved in her community by volunteering and it is important to her to instill those values in her children.

 

Alexandra has overcome numerous barriers including obtaining permanent housing, employment, transportation, and childcare. When she moved here from Chicago, Alexandra was considered literally homeless, and now she has secured permanent housing through The Home Connection program. She also obtained full-time employment with Principal Financial Group during her stay at New Directions Shelter, and she loves her job .Through her employment with Principal Financial Group, Alexandra has significantly increased her monthly income. She is no longer receiving state assistance and she is independently providing for her family. Alexandra does not have a vehicle and is working towards saving for a car, but she does have a bus pass through her employer, which provides reliable transportation for her. Alexandra also acquired safe and affordable childcare where she can take her children and be confident that they are in good hands.

 

Alexandra has several long-term goals. She wants to own her own beauty supply store one day, and become a homeowner. Additionally , Alexandra would like to go back to school to receive a degree in business to pursue her goal of becoming a business owner. She would also like to start  a mentoring program for youth to promote positive role models in their lives, because she did not have that growing up. Alexandra plans on going back to school in 2013, and is working on repairing her credit so she can be a homeowner one day.