Cheyene was pregnant when she found herself without a dependable place to live.

She had been staying with a family member, but repeated disagreements left her uncertain about whether she would have a roof over her head from one day to the next. She needed stability, especially with a baby on the way. After hearing about Good Counsel through a friend, Cheyene made her way to New York City and began looking for help. When she met with a social worker through the city's Department of Homeless Services, she explained that she was pregnant and wanted a safe place to spend the remainder of her pregnancy. She asked about Good Counsel.

Soon afterward, she was offered a place at the Bronx home. Cheyene didn't know what to expect. After everything she had experienced, she had grown accustomed to uncertainty and disappointment. Instead, she found people who welcomed her.

During her pregnancy, the staff checked in regularly. They reminded her to drink water, encouraged her to eat when she wasn't feeling well, and offered reassurance on the days when she felt overwhelmed. These may seem like small things, but any mother knows how much they matter. Sometimes what a woman needs most isn't someone to solve every problem. It's someone who notices when she's having a hard day. Someone who asks whether she's eaten. Someone who listens without judgment.

For Cheyene, those everyday gestures helped her feel less alone. She welcomed her baby, Khaivy, and began looking toward the future. Now she is enrolling in Patient Care Technician training, preparing for a career that will help her support herself and her child. She's learning practical life skills, developing greater confidence, and discovering strengths she will carry with her long after she leaves Good Counsel. "Good Counsel has given me self-love and discipline," Cheyene shared. But the goals are hers. She's the one preparing for school, caring for her newborn, and taking the steps toward independence. What she has found at Good Counsel is something every mother deserves: a community of people who want to see her succeed: A village. And for Cheyene and Khaivy, that village has helped make a new beginning possible.

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