Danielle ~ client profile
Danielle is a 20-year-old single mother and full-time nursing student. She has plenty of good friends, works as a nurse’s aide, is on the college Deans List, and has a wonderfully healthy and happy three-year-old daughter, Leesa. Four years ago, however, her life couldn’t have been more different. A former honor student and standout volleyball player, Danielle started fighting with her family, drinking, skipping school, and getting booted from the team for letting her grades drop. Often, she didn’t even bother coming home at all.
Then she found out she was pregnant.
That’s when she came to Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County (CSSW) for help. Through the CSSW Father Patrick Jackson House program, she was given a stable home environment where she established a positive routine. Danielle went back to school, received prenatal care and counseling and enrolled in on-site parenting classes. She also began the task of repairing her broken family relationships.
A few months after her 18th birthday, Danielle and Leesa moved into their first apartment with money she had saved while living at Father Pat’s. Two years later, she continues to excel in both work and school, determined to be the best role model possible for her little girl. With the help she received through Catholic Social Services, this troubled teen has grown into a responsible young parent.