Theresa
Born in Pontiac, Michigan, Theresa went to a community college to study Spanish but lost interest and didn’t finish. She joined the Peace Corps instead, where she volunteered for a year and a half in Guatemala.

“That was wonderful. That was like the best experience of my life,” Theresa said of her time in the Peace Corps.

During her time with the Corps, she taught nutrition and health to pregnant women. When she moved back to the States, she spent some time back in Michigan and some time in Arizona before moving to New York, where she ultimately found herself unable to afford housing.

“Living in a shelter is hard,” she said. “You have people with different personalities, backgrounds, and illnesses. I’m trying to get out of the shelter system. I have my packet now to get job training at Project Renewal’s culinary arts training program.”

While she’s focused on getting out of the shelter system and into a place of permanent housing and job stability, Theresa is thankful for her space at Susan’s Place.
“Susan’s Place is one of the best shelters I have been in. It’s clean and the dormitories are beautiful. There are 20 women in a room but you have your own cubicle with real twin beds, not cots, and nice cabinets to put your things in.”

Theresa has set her goals high and plans on doing what it takes to reach them.
“I want to go back to school and become a writer, a playwright. To see people acting in roles that I have written would be awesome.”

See other stories at "Homeless Voices."