RECLAIMING VICTORY

The Single Mother
Name: La Selle Manning, 30
Location: Sacramento, Calif.

‘I kept the faith.’

I was working part-time last year with an in-home support service and helping elderly people inside their homes. I liked working with older people. At the time, I was renting a four-bedroom house and living with my four kids, Desirae, 14; Elijah, 11; Shadijah, 8; and Naesean, 1. I was also getting financial assistance for two of my kids.

My landlord told us that the house we were renting was going through foreclosure. I was pretty upset because we had been staying there for four years and it was home to us. I told my kids that the landlord couldn’t afford to keep the house anymore. Following that, I lost my job. So we moved into St. John’s (Shelter Program for Women & Children).

Launch Gallery 

The kids didn’t like it. They cried a lot. I prayed a lot. I said to God, “Let me follow your will for my life.” I didn’t let a lot of people know we were staying at a shelter. I was not trying to share that information with a lot of people. A couple of people knew. My family knew. My mom offered to have us come and stay with her in Oakland (Calif.). There was one time when I was discouraged and I wanted to call her up and say, “Mom, we’re coming to stay with you.”

I did talk with her, but we stayed in the shelter. I kept the faith. I continued to believe that one day the call would come that would say, “Your place is ready.”

When I look back, I realize that I was angry at myself. I felt that if I had been better prepared, it wouldn’t have happened. The whole experience actually made me stronger. I felt that my faith would get me through. So I had to adjust my life to living at a shelter and following their rules. We had chores at the shelter that included washing dishes and cleaning the bathroom. Sometimes I would help cook the meals.  We had to be in the shelter each day by 5 p.m. We had to share a room with other people. They didn’t have private rooms. We had to wake up at 6:30 a.m. and then get the kids showered and dressed. At 9 a.m., they’d lock up the shelter and we were supposed to be out looking for a place to stay or a job.

I was at the shelter from Dec. 31, 2008 until May 13, 2009. The shelter extended my stay once. You are supposed to leave after three months.

Finally, I got the call about our new place. We just moved into a two-year apartment. There are three bedrooms and it’s spacious. I’m grateful. The kids are happy, too.

I am going back to school after I finish a 90-day program that the shelter referred me to that helps you to redirect your life. Right now, I am learning life skills, credit repair, money management and nutrition. Then I will go back to school to become a medical assistant and, after that, I plan to be trained as a nurse. I want to work with babies and pregnant women in labor and delivery.

I put my furniture and other belongings in storage before we moved into the shelter and we took only clothes with us. I got everything out of storage this month.  Some of the boxes are still packed. The first thing that I did when I got my apartment was to take a bath. There are no baths at the shelter, only showers.

I learned what I needed to do to start over and to treat myself and my kids better. I want to see them grow up and be happy adults, finish school and go to college. I didn’t go to college, but I did go back and I got my GED. I feel that this could have happened to anybody, whether you are poor or middle class.  The economy is bad now. It doesn’t matter who you are. This fall, the kids are going to new schools. It’s a new start for all of us.

The Loner