They made me the woman I am today and I am so grateful to say they showed and proved the definition of a team.
WIN reconnected me with my family. My experience with the WIN Team began when I was about 14 years old. I was a troubled teenager who was going from foster home to foster home to group home and all! I was an emotional wreck, losing my mother at such a young age. I lashed out at everyone. I will never forget Mr. Moore-my big brother, Mrs. Nicole and Ms. Ayo came to greet me and introduced themselves when I first entered WIN Team. I was very standoffish, I really wasn’t ready for a change going through what I have been through, still with the mind frame set that these people don’t really care.
They proved me wrong! I was so defiant. I was so angry, lashing out at the wrong people – those who wanted to help me. They were so nice and pleasant. They let me know I could trust them, which was so hard for me to do. I gave them a run for their money.
What I’m trying to say is, that they worked so hard to change the way I was thinking and how I was feeling. They gave me so much love – not just one of them, ALL of them. I had different counselors, but a few stood out: Mrs. Katrina, Mr. Mark , Ms. Ayo, Mrs. Delvana and Mrs. T who played the role of everyone’s grandmother. These counselors stood by my side with every step I took. With the help of Mr. Al and his wife, I was placed in a wonderful home. They made sure I kept up with my appointments and they took us on various trips. It was so much more than a therapeutic foster home. It was a home with a family who cared and stuck by me when I had my child. They made sure we both were okay and they helped me out with independent living.
They made me the woman I am today and I am so grateful to say they showed and proved the definition of a team. You’re not getting one, you are getting all. To be a part of something so big is wonderful. I had my hard times, but they stood by my side and never left. I can still come home to where I knew it all started. I forever love them and appreciate what Mr. Al created with the help of his Team.