Nicole came to NUMAS Haus in January of 2020 and moved into her own housing by April 2020. She is a go-getter, and worked on her goals from the moment she woke up until she went to bed. She found employment quickly, and not having a car of her own, she worked through the struggles of transportation to get to work and back.
When Nicole first arrived at NUMAS Haus, she was only able to see her 1 year-old son, Lennox, a couple times a week for a few hours at a time. This was very frustrating and hard for Nicole. By the time she left NUMAS Haus, Nicole had Lennox full time and expects to have full
physical and legal custody granted to her within the next month. This is by far her biggest accomplishment and the one she is most proud of.
Nicole accomplished many other goals during her stay at NUMAS Haus as well, but this is not to say it came easily. There were many times she was frustrated and felt like nothing was falling into place. One of the most important tasks of the NUMAS Haus staff is to encourage, no matter how impossible the road ahead may seem. Each individual that walks through our doors has their own unique set of strengths, and it is our job to help individuals identify and utilize those strengths, rather than allowing them to give up.
Nicole made a lot out of her life when she felt like she had nothing. Her positive outlook on life will allow her to make each day better than the last. Continue reading to hear more about Nicole’s journey in her own words.
- Describe what life was like before NUMAS Haus.
“Before coming to the NUMAS Haus, I spent many months dedicated to my sobriety and life in recovery. I have had my fair share of struggles as a child and an adult, but what truly and honestly brought me to my knees was not giving myself the ability to spend time with my son, Lennox.
For the past two years I’ve been homeless, jumping from couch to couch just praying for God to show me something was worth living for. And He sure did the day I gave birth to Lennox Lamar Black. Lennox is my life and he saved my life by giving me the inspiration to get myself back together and work towards my dreams that I used to think were impossible.
As a survivor of domestic violence and so many different types of abuse, I many times felt hopeless and unsure if I would or could ever be happy again. And I wondered if anyone cared about me and if there was help for me. Although it seemed like a dead end road, I survived the countless years of abuse and freed myself from the grips of my abusers as well as my addiction.”
- Describe your experience and accomplishments while at NUMAS Haus. How did NUMAS Haus impact your life?
“I remember the exact day that I called to ask if there was a spot open and I figured I would get the same response I had received from every other place I had called, that I would be put on the waiting list and they would call me back. But instead, by the grace of God, there was an opening and I jumped at the opportunity for myself and my child and a better future.
I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know much about the program, but what I can say is that I wouldn’t be anywhere near as successful as I am without the help of Karla and the volunteers at the NUMAS Haus. Not only were they so loving and supportive, each person I met through my stay there had faith in me! When I’d lost faith in myself. I had complete strangers that I had only met a few times who had faith in me and my abilities. Having those extra prayers were truly a blessing and the help and support from Karla was amazing!”
- You’ve been out of NUMAS Haus for a couple months now. What is life like now?
“Some of the things I’ve accomplished because of the NUMAS Haus and the support of my family and friends I’ve met along the way include:
- Lennox and I moved into a 2 bedroom house in April.
- I will have full physical and legal custody of Lennox back soon.
- I am still employed at my job.
- I have paid off debt.
- I continue to participate in
parenting classes weekly through Options for Women and have
completed over 100 lessons with their organization. - I continue to attend therapy.
- I’m so close to getting my license back and being able to drive again!
- I am able to have my therapy dog, Milo, living with me again.
- I get to spend every weekend with my family and they are very proud of how far I’ve come and how
amazing of a mother I am to
Lennox.”
- What advice would you have for those who are experiencing some of the same struggles you did?
“Without struggle, we wouldn’t become stronger individuals. Once you acknowledge where you are at, and decide to become more, little changes will start to occur inside of you. You need to be able to pick up on your flaws, just like I did, and then work on them. Let go of the past and choose to become more. Your experiences, combined with finding who you are, will change your life.
Throw away your pity pants and decide that tomorrow’s going to be different because you’re in control. Accept the struggle, take accountability for actions and words that you’re responsible for and move forward. And don’t let
negative people drag you down or make you think you don’t deserve the world, because you do.”