It was December 17, 2002 when I moved into Intercession Group Home. I was 8 months pregnant with my daughter, who I named Loreanna. I was placed there because where I was staying at before I wasn’t being treated fairly. Everyone was so nice and sweet to me, everyone treated me with love and respect. H had Loreanna a week before my due date, which was January 19th; I had her on January 12th a month before my birthday. After my 6 weeks I went back to school
At school, I started hanging around the wrong group of people, and I started to fall behind in my schoolwork. I had a talk with Mrs. Cooper-felts to see if I could get into Lady Pitts so that I could graduate on time. Once I entered Lady Pitts, I really did not like it because we only had 3 classes and each of them was 2 hours and 5 minutes long. However, once I got to know the teachers and see how well they explained the work I fell in love with the school. I went to Lady Pitts for a year and 4 months, within that time I completed every class I had to complete. By doing that I went to school everyday and did all of my class and homework assignments. Most of the time I was there I stayed on the honor roll, thanks to Ms. Oletha the staff at Intercession and also all the teachers at Lady Pitts.
Intercession is a great place to stay because the staff there care so much about you and your children and especially your education. I think that if I wouldn’t of moved into Intercession I would not have graduated. So I would like to give thanks to Ms. Sharon, Ms. Oletha, Ms. Carla, Ms. Mary Bass and everybody else at Intercession.
Ms. R J
1/31/06
To Intercession Staff:
Thank you so much for helping me get my life back together. I have never stayed at a group home before so the last ten-day stretch has been difficult for me. But all of the staff has helped me tremendously through this difficult time, and for this I thank you. Honestly if it weren’t for my child I don’t know if I would have stayed either, (not because of this place but because I am hard-headed) But God blessed me with a child and that led me here, for reasons I don’t understand and never will; He has taken him from me. Even through this troubled time I have learned now I need to love myself, and that I am worth something, I deserve a lot more that I am giving to myself.
Even though I won’t be able to stay at Intercession I will continue to stay at whatever placement they give me and my main goal at this point is start loving myself just as much as I loved my child, and to restore my faith. I am so grateful that I’ve had this experience of being at Intercession because I don’t know where I’d be right now, if I hadn’t come here: but I know it wouldn’t be a good place.
My mother always told me that God has a plan for my life, so in the next few months I am going to seek out His plan and not go with my own, because that has not led me many enjoyable places.
Thank you for helping me realize my worth even when I wasn’t able to see it. Now, I know I am worth something and I wish I would have known that many years ago because not knowing that has put me in many unhealthy situations. I only hope that every girl will realize this earlier than I did. I promise I will continue to keep in contact with Intercessions, and I can’t wait until I can call and say I finished high school and college someday too.
Sincerely,
R. B.
12/12/05
I came to Intercession on May 16, 2005, I had just had my baby at St. Joseph’s Hospital on May 14, 2005; 4:38p.m. his name was Monterius Cornell Thigpen Jr.
When I first came to Intercession I was surprised because it wasn’t how I thought it would be, I thought it would be a big crowed house full of girls and crying babies It wasn’t, the house was big , quiet, clean, organized and the girls greeted me when I first arrived. I had my own room, my baby had his own crib and I had a little gift basket full of hygiene products. Every night dinner was cooked and we could kind of decide what we wanted to eat.
Intercessions helped me to get ready to go back and live with my mother and also helped me to get ready for the real world; being independent, organized, manage my money and also being a teen mom. Intercessions had the girls and I go to group at New Concepts which gave us a time to express our feelings to a nice lady named Mrs. Eva. I enjoyed talking to Mrs. Eva, rather than going to group. Also all of the girls were assigned chores that had to be done every night before we went to sleep.
I left Intercession on June 11, 2005 and I went to go back and live with my child’s father; my baby who is now 7 months.
I would recommend Intercession to other teen moms who are in the system. The only thing I did not like was that we didn’t get a lot of freedom to talk on the phone or stay up late, even though we couldn’t do those things, I still appreciated being there with the staff and the girls.
D. B.
I came into Intercession Group Home feeling extremely uneasy. My freedom to do and go as I pleased taken away was something I absolutely did not want. Soon after those uneasy and uncomfortable feelings disappeared, I began to realize what an opportunity it was to be here. I began to understand that so much freedom as a parent my age was not such a good thing. Although I thought, I was an adult I was really just a child with a child. This does not mean that I was ignorant or stupid. It just meant that I still need a little guidance. Even the toughest person who has been through hell and back needs a little love, guidance and support. It takes a strong-minded person to seek it out and expect it. I was one of the smart ones who sat down and realized were I stood and what I needed. Intercession was an awesome opportunity for me and many other girls. Everything a woman and her children needs is provided. The staff is wonderful and it is a clean stable, loving environment for young families. I began to look more alive living there. I had no more bags under my eyes, my hair, nails began to grow rapidly, and everything was coming together. However, it was not until I shut my big mouth and opened my eyes that I received my true blessings. I would truly like to thank Ms. Sharon and her staff for leading me down a whole new path and really caring for me
Thank you,
D. L
Poem
True Story
My mother and father did not want me
Sadly my mother didn’t know who he was
The poor woman was sleeping around just because
Well, the guy I know as dad took my innocence every
night Too young and misguided I didn’t know how to
fight. It began at the age of 14 years old
Knowing no one would help me I never told
His horrible body on mine was frightful
But in some sick way to him it was delightful
Hurry get off my insides will pop
Had to pleasure him fully to get him to stop
Now I’m pregnant not knowing if it’s dads or boyfriend
Frustrated and embarrassed I ran and I ran
What in hell did I do to deserve this curse?
Lord why did I have to be born into the worst
Well, it turned out the baby isn’t fathers
To find out the truth he didn’t ever bother
Now lost in the streets with no place to go
In love with 1 boy that I really did not know
And then our on child became two
Which left me alone not knowing what to do?
I wanted to die couldn’t take anymore
Until my loving Father opened a door
He lead me to a woman to end those horrible days
He lead me to an Angel Ms. Sharon Mays
D.L.
Reflections
