Drug addiction and financial difficulty caused LaShondra to become homeless. Every time she tried to bounce back, her addiction threw her off track again. “I finally realized that I still had problems, and they weren’t going away,” she says.
Lashondra sought help at St. John’s, but she was scared. She didn’t know how to meet new people and share her story – what if they judged her? Her worried diminished as soon as she entered the door of the shelter. What made it all better? “The people!” she exclaims jubilantly. “Just the open arms, the welcoming, the receptiveness…all of my questions were answered.” LaShondra quickly developed goals for herself – build a resume, work on her self esteem, and get her education together. “I didn’t realize how far I could go in ninety days,” she adds.
LaShondra successfully completed Plate's Employment Training Program and graduated July 2011.
Along with working on her GED and actively searching for housing, LaShondra keeps busy training at Plates Café. “I’ve been out of the workforce for years. Plates is helping me show future employers – and myself – that I can work for a long period of time.” LaShondra enjoys being part of a team, and keeping customers happy at the front. “I like to make sure people are doing well and getting what they want,” she says proudly.