Sabrina Williams sought the assistance from our transitional Housing Services program after she, her husband and their daughter, Una, moved back to Colorado from Nebraska. At the time Una was only an infant and her father began living and interacting in an environment surrounded by drugs. Sabrina looked to her parents for support and quickly realized that living in their home was also not a suitable place to raise her daughter. “Living with my parents was chaotic,” she said.

Sabrina was determined to find a secure place for her to live and raise her little girl. The two spent more then six months in a shelter. Sabrina worked hard and completed all the work her case managers requested and after several assessments Sabrina and her daughter began to receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). TANF helps with food stamps and other daily needs but most importantly Sabrina was qualified to receive funding for school and temporary housing.

Sabrina began to look at different transitional housing services available with TANF. She and Una were accepted into many but after talking with another young mother at the shelter who was accepted into Parent Pathways’ Housing Services she knew where she wanted to go.

Sabrina described, “She was so excited – she was telling me ‘Do it on your own, YOU can!’”

Parent Pathways assists each young family in developing its individualized plan for success. We work with each young parent to develop the steps they need to take on their pathway, we help them enroll in classes, find resources and teach them skills needed to make their plans a reality. We empower all of our young parents to determine their goals and promote the need to continue their education.

Sabrina has always been focused on her education, “It’s very important.” With Parent Pathways support she was able to balance life at home and at school.

Sabrina grew up on a construction site with her dad and always knew she was born to work in that industry. She attends Emily Griffith Opportunity School and is a prized student in their Welding Program. Sabrina said, “I love building and creating with my hands - steel is more fun than lumber. You have to be just as tough as men to work, but you have to be twice as tough as them when you are working in a male dominated field.”

She plans to continue her education. “I am planning to get a degree in Physics and I am working on my working on my Entry Level Certifications for the American Welding Society.”

Emily Griffith looks to her as a portrait of success and has featured her in many of their materials promoting their welding program and her teachers have recommended her for employment with Northwest Pipe, where she can receive even more hands-on training as she finishes her degree.

In the course of determining her own goals, she has also determined some goals she has for her daughter’s future. “I want Una to be strong and independent and have unconditional love for everything and everyone.” She continued, “I will encourage her to do what she wants to do and to try everything – unlike how I was raised.”

Sabrina and her daughter are now receiving the support and encouragement Sabrina lacked in her own upbringing. “I am so thankful for Laurie’s (Case Worker) wisdom and for supporting me in everything that I do.”

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