BEACON OF HOPE: Mother of 7 Fleeing Domestic Violence, Finds Support, Hope, and $75K/year career with help from Community-Based Connections, Inc.
After years of abuse and being strangled almost to death, Shaunte Robinson left Kentucky to start a new life in Florida.
The mother, pregnant at the time with her 7th child, feared if she did not leave this time – there might not be a next time. Packing up as much as she could, leaving friends and family behind, she left for Florida with her five youngest children. She found shelter with a friend of a friend, but as the adage says, “When it rains, it pours.” Despite helping with the friend’s rent, they were evicted because the friend had not been paying the rent.
Due to Shaunte’s stress, she went into labor and had her baby prematurely. Unable to find respite with friends in Florida, devoid of family support, and turned away by local shelters that were at capacity, the mother of seven became homeless.
However, she remained committed to creating a better life for her family and obtained part-time employment with a temp agency. With her new job, she could rent a room from a local hotel but needed help to secure a more permanent solution due to the cost of the room, eating out, and recurring weekly expenses.
Nevertheless, things were looking up for Shaunte. She was able to connect with Eve McKinsey, a Parent Partner from Community-Based Connections, Inc.’s Beacon of Hope Program, who provided her with a listing of available properties within her budget and, upon selecting one, paid her first and last month’s rent – giving the family a place they could now call home!
With the help of Eve, Shaunte was connected to Sweet Dream Makers, which furnished her home with brand new beds and bedding for every child, a new couch, dressers for each room, a dining room table and chairs, as well as a new set of pots and pans. Additionally, Eve was able to help Shaunte obtain clothing and diapers through Jay’s Closet for all of her children. Lastly, because the staff at CBCI understand that the road to success is more than tangible things we can provide, Eve connected the mother with Chrysalis Health, which provides mental health services and substance abuse counseling. Since being connected with Chrysalis, Shaunte has received weekly one-hour therapy sessions.
The end result: Shaunte and her family are safe, have a place to call home, her children have settled into their new schools, and she is currently employed, making $75,000 a year as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
“My two girls missed a lot of school due to this, and I eventually gave birth prematurely. We were close to giving up and going back to Kentucky. My girls were sad and were asking every day when we would be moving. The weight of that caused me to be depressed and cry almost daily, not knowing what to do. I met with Naomi first from CBCI, then was reassigned to Eve. We set a plan and worked hard to achieve those goals. Eve was able to get us assistance with First and Last through CBCI, and I was able to pay the deposit. Eve then assisted with getting all of us beds and bedding the little ones have been so excited. They love their new place and beds, and especially the bedding. We can’t thank you enough!”
— The Robinson Family
