Client Portrait

Today, Monique is a successful young professional with boundless energy.  Between her full-time job and her college course load she has a lot to manage but does it all with a healthy sense of humor and an infectious smile. When speaking to this vivacious young woman, it is hard to believe that one of her first memories was of being homeless and sleeping in stairwells with her mother.
 
Battling serious medical problems, much of Monique’s early years were spent in the hospital.  During this stressful period Monique’s parents separated and financial difficulties ensued.  With little family support and few resources, Monique’s mother soon became homeless.  Though she was only three years old, Monique remembers the tremendous sense of relief she felt upon entering the Women In Need shelter in the Bronx. She treasures the warmth and sense of community that existed there and attributes the experience with developing her outgoing personality. She smiles as she remembers a children’s Halloween Party at the shelter.  “I had never seen anything like bobbing for apples...it was amazing and funny. Some memories you just want to hold on to.”   

Monique lived at the shelter for several months until her mother found a job and an apartment for them. Although they were poor and the neighborhood was rough, they were never homeless again.  When discussing her tremendous focus, Monique quips, “I didn’t mind being in the ‘out crowd.’ It worked for me.  I saw the results of poor choices all around me.” 
 
Monique feels her outgoing personality is largely due to the time she spent in the shelter, where the sense of community and group activities made her feel part of a larger family.  This exuberance carried over into Monique’s school years, where she immersed herself in extracurricular activities. “I was into everything the school could offer!”

Monique is presently employed as a personal banking consultant at a NYC bank and is working toward her degree in Philosophy and Law at Brooklyn College. Monique hopes to specialize in corporate law someday.   

Photo by George Anttila