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Monique
smiles with almost every breath
But
three years ago there was nothing to smile about. "I had a
normal life until I was 13, and then my whole world changed."
Monique and her new stepfather did not get along at all and
she was bounced around to different relatives hoping she could
find somewhere peaceful to live.
Three
years later she found some peace living with a friend. Monique
was working at McDonalds and going to Wilson High School.
Things were looking better. But this peace ended when she
began seeing her highschool sweetheart.
Their
relationship was not a good one, filled with verbal and physical
abuse. He finally left her one year later with a permanent
reminder of their time together, a daughter named Charmonique.
"I
was so alone, my boyfriend left me, my mom moved to Florida
and I was only 17 years old. I would sit in my apartment with
my baby and feel so depressed not knowing what would happen
next."
Monique
was on welfare and left with very little self-esteem and courage.
But she knew she had to do something for herself and for her
baby daughter. One day she ventured out of her apartment and
stumbled, stroller and all, into the office of Washington
Women's Employment and Education (WWEE) office, a United Way
member agency.
Two
days later, thanks to WWEE, Monique was given transportation,
day care and an opportunity to attend 4 weeks of instructional
classes. "I felt accountable to these people, they were
helping me define who I was and how I wanted to proceed with
my life." She earned her GED and a scholarship to Pierce
College. She graduated with perfect grades and started working
as a correctional counselor at McNeil Island.
Today,
Monique and three-year-old Charmonique live in Salishan, assisted
housing, and are proudly no longer on welfare. She works for
the Tacoma Urban League, a United Way member agency, as a
case manager. She assists clients with low-income housing,
employment opportunities and skill-based educational classes.
Monique
still has many dreams and she hopes to help others realize
their dreams too. That's why she gives to United Way. "I'm
now helping other people to try and improve their lives, all
they need is an example and the discipline."
Programs at United Way funded programs like Washington Women's
Employement and Education make a difference-one life at a
time. Thank you for your continued support.
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