Her father did his best to support his wife and four children, but even with Nadine and her brother pitching in, they couldn’t always make enough to cover the bills.

When Nadine graduated high school, she began to consider what would come next for her. Though she dreamed of going to college, her parents were unable to help her pay for it. And with her already working two jobs to pay the bills, going to school seemed impossible.

Nadine became depressed and was crying every day. She felt like a failure.

“I felt like, I’m not going to go to college ever, so it was really depressing because I always wanted to get an education and get a degree,” she said. “It just wasn’t a situation I wanted to be in.”

To add to her problems, her brother had fallen in with a negative peer group and brought them to her parents’ house when her parents weren’t home.  They treated Nadine poorly, to the point that she would skip meals just so she wouldn’t have to go downstairs to deal with them.

Nadine knew of a young man living at Mercy Home, who told her about the Home and suggested she consider moving in.

She was hesitant at first but decided to reach out to our Admissions department to discuss the possibility. The coworker she spoke to recommended that she live with her sister until she could come to Mercy Home. She also provided Nadine with support before she moved in.

Living with her sister was better, but she still had to work to help support her sister’s family. And her brother and his friends followed her to her sister’s house.

“It wasn’t even safe to go outside, and that’s what would cause me anxiety,” she said. “I wouldn’t even leave the house unless it was for work.”

When Nadine moved into Mercy Home, she was apprehensive. Having been abused and neglected by baby-sitters throughout her life, she didn’t trust our coworkers at first. She was shy and scared.

But eventually, things changed.

“I noticed that this place is not a scary place at all, it’s the complete opposite,” she said. “[The coworkers] made me feel very comfortable and they [welcomed me] with open arms.

“It was amazing to have all this support and it was really eye-opening for me because people [here] want to help.”

Nadine got to work right away at building her future. She enrolled in school, and is working toward her associate’s degree in hospitality. With our Home’s help, she was able to get a job at a luxury hotel in downtown Chicago where she is already getting experience to help her with her future career. She plans on getting a bachelor’s degree and hopes to continue rising in the ranks at the hotel.