I am Women’s Bean Project: Eboni

I am a native of Denver and have lots of family here, including my mom and three brothers. I also have a 14 year-old son that I support by myself. I was working in home health care when my roommate and I had a falling out, and I moved in with my mom. She was living in the house that I grew up in, but had just been laid off. She couldn’t pay the rent and after six months we were evicted and became homeless. I ended up being homeless for three years. We moved in with my brother and then moved around from motels and different relatives. We lived in my mom’s car for nine months and I used my car to get to work. Both cars eventually broke down and I lost my job because I couldn’t get to work. I eventually moved into a motel with my boyfriend.

It was during that time that I heard about Women’s Bean Project from a flyer I saw at the House of Purpose Church. I already knew a little about WBP and used to wonder about it and always wanted to know more about what happens there. I feel like I was meant to come here. Being part of Women’s Bean Project has helped me a lot with rebuilding my confidence. I needed to start over and get myself back on track and I have really received help putting my goals in order. Women’s Bean Project has built up my confidence by giving me so many helpful classes, and teaching everything I need to know or things that re-fresh my memory. The Bean Project is also giving me a lot of resources and insight about finding housing. I have always been blessed and had everything I needed and wanted. Yet when I became homeless, it made me feel like I was nothing, like I was scum, and it felt that even God seemed mad at me! It made me shy away from God, like even He didn’t care. It’s getting better now. Now I have hope and goals.

I want to get back on my feet completely by being financially stable and want to have a career that I love. I love working with children. I want to get more education and teach or maybe work in a children’s hospital or something. I have two years of general studies in college. I used to think math was my worst subject, although after taking classed here I realized that I am good in math! I also love my art class here, it brings me joy! Also, the mock interviews really boosted my confidence. I wasn’t taught to plan ahead, but I know now that planning ahead is very helpful. I also love doing the food packaging process because it is calming and I love my coworkers. I’m excited to have a great career, with a lot of new skills under my belt. I want to start doing fun things again too, like going to the movies, music concerts, museums and the zoo. I used to roller skate and go camping. I’d love to do those things again. Women’s Bean Project is helping me get there!