Nineteen-year-old Sherry found herself on the streets after leaving her boyfriend in Michigan and returning to Dayton, her hometown. She’s now living safely in one of Daybreak’s new transitional apartments. Sherry has a six-month, renewable lease and “earns” her rent by following house rules and attending counseling.

Sherry appreciates the privacy of her transitional apartment. “I get to act like an adult, buy groceries, cook food and do my own dishes,” she said. “I’m working on finding a job, and my caseworker is helping me get back into college.”

Before coming to Daybreak, Sherry had wanted to live with her mother until she could find a job or go back to school, but her mother’s boyfriend turned her away. “When I first got here, I was so depressed because I was in such a bad position with my mom. It was really, really bad. I felt like my life was coming apart. My caseworker at Daybreak helped me cope with what happened – she’s been my rock! She set up a meeting between me and my mom, and it’s helped our relationship so much. We’re getting back on track.”

Sherry now has goals. She’s trying to find clerical work in a hospital, and would like to study early childhood education in college. “College has always been a dream for me,” she said. “I love working around children, so eventually I’d like to start my own clinic or child care center.”

As Sherry gains independence, she’ll move out of transitional housing and into a one-bedroom apartment, where she’ll pay a portion of her rent. She’ll graduate from Daybreak’s program when she’s ready to be fully independent.

“I am really happy,” she said.

After his family kicked him out of the house a couple years ago, T.J., now 21, spent months going from couch to couch, living with different friends. Things really got bad for T.J. after he was involved in a fight at the Dayton Job Corps Center – and was told to leave there, too.

“I messed up,” T.J. admits.

He’s been at Daybreak since December 2006, and in June 2008 moved into one of Daybreak’s new transitional apartments. “Before, I didn’t have anything,” T.J. said. “I was doing things, illegal activities, that I didn’t like to do. It was just survival. I didn’t have a steady place to stay, and I needed to be taught how to live on my own and how to manage money. Daybreak helped me out a lot – a whole lot.”

Before he moved into his transitional apartment, he considered dropping out of Daybreak. “I was going to give up,” he said. “But I talked to my counselors, and they convinced me that I’d come a long way to give it up now. The new facility made me realize I might as well stick with it and see what it can do for me.”

T.J. appreciates his new apartment, the space and the other residents who live at Daybreak. And he doesn’t even mind the rules. “Now I have people to talk to, so my people skills are a lot stronger,” he said. “I have more motivation, more drive. I also have a can-do attitude, because you have to be positive here.”

He recently enrolled in the electrical trades adult education program at Miami Valley Career Technology Center and works 30 hours a week as a cook at Pizza Hut. He’d like to become an electrician.

“The people who work at Daybreak have shown me love and a lot of support,” T.J. said. “They’re in my corner, telling me I’m doing a good job, giving me compliments and boosting my spirit. As long as you show them respect, they will respect you.

“Daybreak has been like a parent to me. They’ve stayed on my case to make sure I do what I need to do.”

During her pregnancy, 18-year-old Kylie was living with aggressive family members who screamed and fought constantly. “I was in a very bad living situation, and I didn’t know where to go,” she said. “A friend of mine said, ‘Call Daybreak.’”

So Kylie moved into one of Daybreak’s transitional apartments shortly after her baby was born. “It’s really nice here because we get to live independently,” she said. “There’s furniture, and a stove, so I cook. I like the small community and the security, and how they try to make everything as comfortable as possible. I am at peace because there’s no fighting here.”

Kylie knows she has to get an education and find a job. She’s already started State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA) classes and plans to work at a nursing home while studying to become a registered nurse. She recently enrolled her daughter in daycare at the YWCA.

“Everything I need is right here,” Kylie said. “While I’m under this housing program, I can get my money together so I can afford housing on my own. I know that I’m not ready to do it all by myself – not just yet.”

Kylie said she is building a foundation for herself and her daughter. “I feel more stable already,” she said. “This is a place we can call home for a while. With everything I’m trying to do, I will need resources, and I know Daybreak will help me a great deal. Alicia, my caseworker, is so wonderful. Everyone I’ve run into here is amazing. I feel like Daybreak rescued me.”