Marion
A teenaged orphan in Kenya, Marion met an American woman who promised her a chance to attend college in the United States. Rather than being flown to a college campus, she was dropped in a brothel in Mexico where she was forced to work. After ten months, she escaped. She stayed in a Mexican shelter for a few months but while there she was raped by a shelter worker and became pregnant. She was forced to leave the shelter due to her pregnancy. She underwent an arduous trek into the United States, having her baby along the way; and was then raped again. By the time she got to Homestretch, she had become accustomed to the brutality of men.
Over the next two years, Marion blossomed. She learned English, got her T visa, went to school to attain a medical assistant certificate, followed by a nursing assistant certificate, and finally a degree as a registered nurse. She did all of this while working full-time at a variety of jobs and complying with all of the demands of our rigorous program. She took advantage of a gym membership through our program and became much stronger physically, which she would need to be a nurse. With her two beautiful children, she is now a proud American citizen.
“By giving them a place to live, their temporary homelessness is addressed; by giving them the tools to become self-sufficient, their poverty is ended. Homestretch aims to go deeper than merely providing housing; we address the fundamental causes of poverty for each family we serve.”
— CHRISTOPHER FAY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EMERITUS