At just 23 years old, Kyilah was working three jobs and still couldn’t keep up with the rising costs of living on her own.
Her days could stretch from 5 a.m. until 1 a.m. She worked as a line cook and juicer, babysat during the day, and finished her evenings working at an ice cream shop. Even with all those hours, rent, groceries, medical expenses and medication became too much.
Kyilah couch surfed with friends for as long as she could. When those arrangements ended and she had nowhere else left to turn, she came to The Hoboken Shelter.
That was just two months ago. Today, Kyilah has found a home of her own.
She credits Shelter staff with helping her navigate the complicated process of finding housing, from paperwork and phone calls to appointments and housing opportunities.
“They were very thorough and often pushed me to make sure I don’t get too comfortable where I am, and make sure that I get my stuff done,” she said.
But Kyilah found something else at the Shelter that she wasn’t expecting: community.
She remembers sitting at a table for hours as different Guests stopped to talk. She learned their stories, discovered how much people had in common and formed relationships she doesn’t intend to leave behind when she moves on.
“I don’t think I could ever forget anyone here,” she said. “At the end of the day, everyone did something to help me.”
The experience also taught Kyilah something about herself.
“I learned that I’m a lot stronger than I think I am,” she said. “I’m really proud of myself for doing this. I said it’s enough with the life that I’ve been living, and I’m going to do something about it. And I did.”
Now she’s thinking about what comes next.
Kyilah plans to return to college majoring in politics and pre-law. Eventually, she hopes to become an attorney.
Before leaving the Shelter, Kyilah was asked what she would tell another young person standing outside our doors, unsure whether to come inside.
Her answer was simple:
“Just breathe. One step at a time. Do it now and make it pretty later.”
More than 100 of our Guests now have homes of their own this year thanks to your care and generosity.
Whether you donate, volunteer, or sponsor or attend one of our fundraising events, your support makes life-changing impact happen right here in Hoboken. Learn more at HobokenShelter.org.