“Everyone is so open minded . . .

“Living here has opened up so many opportunities for me. Everyone is so open minded and helpful.”

I didn’t have an average life growing up, nothing like other kids that I knew, I had it really rough. But when the pandemic hit, it got even tougher. I was pregnant and gave birth to my son in April 2020. We were living with my mother and her boyfriend, but it wasn’t the environment that I wanted my son and I to grow up in. My mom was having health problems and couldn’t work, and with nowhere to turn my son and I ended up homeless. School went to remote learning, and because I didn’t have a computer, I couldn’t continue to learn. It was a really difficult situation.

After a few weeks of searching, an NYC worker helped me get to the Inwood House Division at Children’s Village – a place that would take me and my son. I finally felt like I had some stability. Since I moved into Inwood House, I’ve been attending school every day. CV has provided everything from helping with paperwork to getting me a computer for remote classes. Since the home specifically helps mothers and their kids, they’ve helped me become a better mother, making sure my son has everything he needs and keeping us up to date with our appointments. Living here has opened up so many opportunities for me. Everyone is so open minded and helpful.

I’m on track to graduate high school this summer, and then my dream is to go into Pediatrics. I also want to be a mentor for young moms like me to show that it is possible to achieve your goals despite being a teen parent. I want to show them that they have these opportunities they don’t know about that can help them and their child – they are not alone. No young mother should be without a place to sleep, eat, or feel safe.

After realizing that there are mothers out there in the same position as me that don’t know about the resources available to them, I’ve started looking into mentorship opportunities. I just applied and interviewed to be part of a mentoring program called Invincible Mamas Pushing Action Change Together (IMPACT). Through this program, I would connect and advocate with other young moms as well as partners and organizations. I’m determined to give back. I know I can help other young moms out there.

Ceanda lives at Inwood House, a program that serves young mothers and their babies. The goal of the program is to help young mothers complete their education and acquire the skills they need to become independent, while providing a stable place for them and their babies to live. Inwood House helps young women explore career interests, work on resumes, look for job opportunities, prepare for interviews, and plan for their family’s future. What We Believe – Being a young parent is typically unplanned and very difficult. Assisting young mothers in completing their education and helping develop a support system ensures the success of the second generation.