STORY TELLERS
Christine Cottrill is a 21 year old Caucasian female. She is the single mother of a lively and healthy 19 month old boy. Christine experienced homelessness much of her life even though she didn’t realize she was homeless as a kid. Her mother suffered with a drug addition and was not around much of the time. This left Christine the primary care giver in the home. When there was food in the house there was not enough for her sister and herself so she would go hungry. Christine would frequently stay at a friend’s home, and would take her younger sister with her too. In 7th grade, Christine dropped out of school simply because no one made her go and she had tremendous shame. She then began to experiment with substances; continuing down a pathway of homelessness. She would go to her mother’s house but the food would always disappear. Christine became pregnant and decided she wanted a better life for her baby. The baby’s father said that he would get sober, yet failed to do so. This left Christine with absolutely no one.
She got a referral to go to Transitions through Children’s Home Society. There she became clean and started a GED class. Today, Christine is moving out of Transitions and into her own place. She goes to college and works. She would like to work in a legal position or be a counselor some day. She has become a very wonderful mother and a productive contributing member of our community.