June 2014 Mom’s House graduate speech:
Becoming a young mother at a young age was not what I had envisioned for myself. I was confused, scared, and most of all embarrassed. Although I had a rush of mixed emotions running throughout my body, I knew that keeping this baby and taking on the responsibility of raising this child was what I needed to do. On April 26, 2011 my son Cameron entered the world. Love at first sight gained a whole new meaning when I looked at my son for the very first time. I knew that Cameron deserved a bright future, so I decided it was time to get back into school.
Getting back into school was the easy part. I value my education and thoroughly enjoy learning; it was finding a daycare that would be the hardest part. I decided to check out the daycare at BCC, but after learning about the long waiting list, I knew that wasn’t an option. I then looked into other daycares around the area, but after seeing them, it was obvious that I, myself, could not afford such daycare. I became tired, and frustrated. The struggle of finding a daycare for Cameron really took a toll on me, until one day my mother came to me with the idea of “Mom’s House.” I had never before heard of this daycare but decided to look into it. I took it upon myself to give Mom’s House a call and see if bringing Cameron there was an option.
Finally, I had some luck. I was told to come in to get an application. When I arrived, I was greeted by a very friendly face. Ms. Judy introduced herself and immediately I felt comfortable. I can be very shy at first, but because of Ms. Judy’s warm personality, I was quickly able to open up to her.
Cameron started Mom’s House in the fall of 2012. I was worried how he would react to me leaving him alone with someone he didn’t know for the first time, but immediately he adjusted. He was having so much fun; he didn’t even see me sneak out. Mom’s House offers high quality care and guidance to our children and provides a warm, loving environment. It’s very easy to fall in love with Mom’s House.
To make up for the free daycare we mothers receive, we are asked to do 3 hours of service time each week, which hardly begins to make up for all that Mom’s House does for us. I’ll never forget the first time I worked in the kitchen. I was doing dishes when the spout unattached itself from the sink and began spraying water everywhere. I thought that sort of stuff only happened in the movies! I quickly shut off the water and tried drying myself off, but I was soaked. Ms. Judy and I had a good laugh about it!
It’s hard to think about where I’d be if it weren’t for Mom’s House. I do know that I would not have been able to go back to school due to the expense of daycare. I cannot put into words how thankful and fortunate I was to have found Mom’s House. They have given me the chance to make a better life for my son. They have provided me a second chance at my education, because if it weren’t for Mom’s House, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I have finally received my degree in Health Sciences and I have Mom’s House to thank for that. I was very fortunate to find Mom’s House and I don’t know how I ever deserved to belong to such a good organization as this.
I feel very honored to have been a client of Mom’s House. All of the staff at Mom’s House are wonderful, warm, enthusiastic, and extremely caring. I’d like to thank Cameron’s teacher this year, Ms. Lynne, for helping him grow as a young boy. It feels good, as a mother, to know that your child is getting a proper education. Ms. Lynne has been an excellent role model for Cameron and really helped to expand his vocabulary and was very encouraging when he wanted to give up.
I have formed quite a few close friendships here at Mom’s House. I have been able to connect with, and confide in, the friends that I have made here. Not only has Mom’s House provided me with daycare, they given me forever friendships. Cameron, too, has made some wonderful friendships. He made a best friend here; his name is also Cameron. He is just one day older than my Cameron, and they were born at the same hospital. Although my Cameron is called “Cam” when at daycare as not to confuse the two, they are both each other’s “Cam buddy.” I am grateful that my son was able to find a friend and develop such a strong bond with another child his age.
I am currently waiting to see if I have made it into the nursing program at BCC for the fall semester. If I don’t get accepted, I will be very sad to leave Mom’s House. I can’t imagine my life without Mom’s House; it has become a second family to me in many ways. Words cannot express my gratitude for how generous and welcoming Mom’s House has been to us for the past two years. I am blessed to have been part of the Mom’s House family. I would like to thank my family, friends, and the staff at Mom’s House for providing me with the support needed in order to continually push myself to succeed. Without their love and support, I wouldn’t be here today. Thank you for always telling me that I could do anything, and for helping me when I thought I couldn’t. Thank you for all of the support you have offered me over these past years. I would not be graduating, or even have gone back to BCC, had it not been for all you have done for me. I love you all so much. I am not going to say “goodbye” to Mom’s House, I am going to say “see you later.”