It was me and my son living with my mom and we occupied two rooms at her house. I was no longer able to pay her the full amount of rent. I had to let my job go because I was a high-risk pregnancy. I took it upon myself to go ahead and leave her home because I didn't want to put her at a disadvantage.
I went ahead and I applied into the shelter. And it was scary to me because I didn't know what the next step would be. If I would get an apartment. If I would be there forever!
I think my lowest moment was the first day I got there and I actually had seen the living conditions that I would be subjected to: One room, two beds, a refrigerator, a microwave. So it was a total 360 from what I was used to.
I heard about the program through my worker at the homeless shelter and I literally like jumped at the opportunity. A pharmacy technician is usually...I think it's a year you take the course in if it was at a regular school. So a twelve-week accelerated program is very, very intense.
CVS has given me a lot of skills. I love that I have a license I can take wherever with me and know that it's mine. I worked for it. I really worked hard for it and it definitely, definitely gave me a road map to a better living.
I can't ask for anything more. I have a job. I have my own apartment. I have two healthy kids. I'm healthy. I'm not stressed about anything. I'm here. I'm awesome.