They May Rise - Reflections on Women's History Month

Many who know me personally, and know about my story, understand that my childhood was not easy. However, I know my past shaped who I am today and has given me a perspective, purpose, and passion to lead Families Moving Forward. 

While there are many reasons one might point to when considering my ability to overcome, some call it resilience, while others may consider it luck, I believe it is, in large part because of one phenomenal woman, my maternal grandmother, Mildred. Like many of the women who walk through our doors, she faced a great deal of trauma. Yet through community, unwavering tenacity, and determination, she showed me that we can still rise.  

Mildred

And it is that same strength that I see every day in the women we serve.

As I reflect on what it means to be a woman during Women’s History Month, especially a woman navigating the trials of homelessness with children in tow, I hear the words of my favorite author, Maya Angelou, in her poem, Still I Rise. 

… Up from a past that’s rooted in pain 
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide … 

I see the rise in the mothers who come through our doors; women who despite unimaginable hardship, continue to show up for their children every single day. Women who are rebuilding, redefining, and reclaiming their futures. 

I am deeply grateful that FMF provides respite for women as they journey toward permanent housing, rising from the dust despite the hardships they have faced. I am grateful for the community that helps them lift their heads and restore their hope, one gift, one kind word, one letter of advocacy at a time.

Just as I did not get here on my own, supported by my grandmother and other determined women who believed in me, I know that the families and mothers we serve are surrounded by the FMF community, so they too may rise.