Transcript for the Piece Audio version of Brand New Day - Graduation Day for Homeless Mothers

What says Spring better than a graduation ceremony?
It?s a time for new life.
And a graduation can force people to pause ? recognize that accomplishment.

For eight women in Baltimore County ? this is about recreating, re-designing their lives.
And it sounds like an almost unbelievable story.

These eight women are graduating from the ?Innterim Housing? program ? a Maryland nonprofit that has a quite stunning outlook ?

One of our mantras is from ?homelessness to home ownership? when the women come into the program ? often the only things they are conditioned to look forward to is section 8, rental subsidies.

Ca Sandra Winchester is the executive director of Innterim Housing.

You can be a homeowner.

Homelessness. To homeownership.
All the women who are graduating on this day ? and their children were formerly homeless.
As they leave Innterim Housing, they?re graduating from programs that have brought new possibilities ? programs that give the mothers a new skill set:

Ca Sandra talking about what they women say they want and how it works in the program.

Miss Ca Sandra, as she is known around Innterim, is standing outside the graduation ceremony. She says this is her favorite day of the year.

The women in this program come from a variety of situations ? some from domestic abuse, some from substance abuse?some were working but weren?t making enough money?

Miss Ca Sandra says the program asks them to take a step back -
And imagine a new reality for their families ? one far from homelessness.

Tape: Ca San What do you want to do?

Inside a church near the Innterim Housing Headquarters, at least a dozen children are being wrangled into a play area while the ceremony kicks off.
Students, graduates, staff, and what seems like sisters, friends, and parents hold babies in their laps?
there?s a happy chatter.
And then, things to come to a complete silence as the ceremony begins.

Angela Hall is the MC for the event ? she?s the Program Director for Innterim Housing.

Six out of the eight graduates are here - carrying red carnations as they walk down the center aisle.
They walk casually ? nonchalantly in high heeled sandals.
It?s a simple ceremony to honor a very extraordinary transformation.
And it would be easy to forget these women were once homeless ? they look like the career-minded women they are.
It?s just not something you see everyday.

Miss Angela introduces one of the graduation?s key note speakers?she describes a survivor who is persistent - a graduate herself from Innterim - Valencia Purvis.

Valencia stands up on the stage ? looking comfortable and assured ? wearing baby blue capris and a matching top, large gold earrings drape her face as well as a neat curly bob, held back by a baby blue headband. She stands before the crowd of fifty or so onlookers with no notes, but she seems relaxed as she looks back over her life for the audience.

Like so many ? I thought the time would never pass?.

During her words to the crowd, Valencia remembered a time when she went to a local middle school to talk about what is was like being homeless ? with kids.
Valencia tape

Valencia spoke to every mother in the crowd who found themselves in the position she was once in.

Valencia tape

Valencia talked about the network she made at Innterim, the Associate?s Degree she is working on, the budget she learned to balance at Innterim, her wedding that took place in the last year?

Valencia tape

The audience showed her cheers and applause that echoed for every graduate and student.

Tape ? fade applause

Certificates for the various Innterim classes were given.
And graduates who are now enrolled in nursing classes or who are poised to open their own hair salons received applause and took bows.

One graduate who completed the ?financial literacy? class was asked to say a few words?

She was introduced as the very motivated, very energetic Denise Bryant?

Tape ? Denise - applause

As Denise took the stage, she tied her long braids back in a loose ponytail.
She carried a notebook and pen to the podium.
Denise was leaving Innterim with a new career but didn?t want to forget to thank ANYONE.

Tape ? Denise and her story ? thanking the staff and esp Miss Ca Sandra

After Denise?s acknowledgement, Miss Ca Sandra took the stage to say a few words to the students who had gone through up to two years of counseling for mental health, employment, credit and career counseling ? anything and everything that once stood in the way of their self-sufficiency.

Taoe ? Ca San at grad ? thank you for letting us assist you.

Outside of the graduation, I asked Miss Ca Sandra about predatory lenders, inadequate wages, rising rents and bills.
Does it seem like the odds for success are not good for people on tight budgets and low salaries?are the cards stacked??

Tape: Ca San The cards were stacked but we even them out

How does a single mother manage a crisis?
That?s a question that has frustrated the new graduates in the past.
But, at least three mothers out of this graduating Innterim Housing class are homeowners.
All of them have reduced or erased their debt.
And since they didn?t have to pay rent at Innterim, half of this graduating class were able to go to school again, with careers in mind.

Tape - Ca Sandra ? let me upgrade you

Minimum wages - and even the new so-called living wages fall far short of what these mothers need to survive.

These mothers have lived this problem.

Now they?re graduating and moving out of the ruts of their old lives and into something brand new.

Music ? upgrade you

For The Signal, I?m Mary Rose Madden

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