We don’t know what is going on in our bodies, it’s everchanging with what feels like an alien growing inside, there’s no one to turn to feeling so alone, friends drop you because their moms think pregnancy is contagious, there’s already slim findings for jobs as a teenager – throw in pregnancy and you’re likely at the bottom of the hiring pile, the dirty looks and ridiculing whispers from stranger
s who may or may not realize you can hear them, and the lack of confidence, strength, willpower, goals, motivation, and direction to name a few of the battles. As a teen mom, you’re known as a statistic, someone who won’t make it far, they’ll never find someone to love them with a kid, you’re told the child will go into state custody, you’re bound to work the streets or live off welfare; and somehow a lot of these ladies fall into believing what they’re told. These girls deserve more than being looked down upon and kicked under the bus. They need to know that life has only began with the blessing of a child at a young age. They are more than just a Teen Mom; they are a superhero to that little jellybean growing inside whom will love and be loved unconditionally. My goal is to be someone I needed at 14 and pregnant to these young women. To show them that they will not be another statistic under my wing. For these girls, depending on where they are in life, I want to be able to pick up where they left off, give/show direction to greater days, and how to do it all without a significant other. At WHY|A3, these young women will be given shelter for both them and their child – Looking at building a 4-plex that will all feature their own “apartment” with one bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living space. My program will include going back to school to finish or getting their GED if needed. Financial literacy will be taught for this knowledge will be invaluable – this will help them understand the value of budgeting, using a savings account, retirement investing, and how all this plays a part in their credit score and why it is so important to do the right thing from the get-go. They will have access to and from work while their child is safe at WHY|A3 with our own built-in day care/learning facility so the moms do not have to worry about taking them somewhere or paying for the additional expenses. I will teach these girls how to use a lawn mower and w**d eater to take pride in their yardwork. They will also learn how to do regular maintenance on a vehicle with changing the oil, a tire, checking fluids, and changing the head/taillights. Inside the home, they will be taught how to repair sheetrock, paint without painting the ceiling, lay flooring down, where the reset button is on a garbage disposal, how to clean a p-pipe under the sink because kids are weird, and how to unclog a toilet. These ladies will learn basics in interview skills and how to build their resume that’ll land them the position every time. Thru these levels, I pray they become confident in their knowledge, they walk with a purpose and mission shining bright all the strength from within, and thru perseverance they find success. That by the end of their time with me, they will have earned their HS Diploma or GED, have had a consistent job for 2+ years, a savings account for uh-oh life moments, and credit that continues to improve. For when it is all said and done, they will move into a home they own by themselves. Proving their hard work pushed them to break out of their comfort zone into the land of the unknown where they thrive living with a purpose and value. With Love,
-Agent Ann Armstead
