Nadya's Story
The 2014 school year had just begun when Nadya and her two children became homeless, with no place to go and not even a car to provide temporary shelter or a place for their belongings. “It was really scary,” recounted Nadya.
“We had been staying with a friend of my sister-in-law. That friend said we had to leave, and then it was us two adults and five kids, and nowhere to go. We cried a lot. It wasn’t easy.” They tried Clare House and there was no room. They tried McKinnell House. And although there was no room at first, a spot opened up and they were given a safe place to be, so the kids could get back to school and they could get back on their feet.
Nadya had never been homeless before. She’d studied electrical engineering in Puerto Rico and had then moved to Georgia to be with family. In 2014, she needed change so she came to Alaska. Once at McKinnell House, Nadya’s sister-in-law decided to go back to Georgia. But Nadya was determined not to move her children again. They were settling in, making friends, and Nadya was getting to know the teachers and parents at their school. They lived at McKinnell House from late August to early January.
Getting through all the holidays – Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s – without family was difficult. But the McKinnell House staff “made it feel like home,” said Nadya. “When I got there, I felt safe. They made me feel like family.” Nadya began going to Salvation Army church services, and volunteering for programs like Neighborhood GIFT.
McKinnell House Staff helped Nadya apply for jobs and an apartment. She got both.
A little more than a year later, things are looking great. She works hard and was recently promoted and named February employee of the month at Crown Plaza Hotel, where she is a Banquet Captain and restaurant supervisor. “I almost cried when they announced it,” she recalled. “I am blessed.”
Nadya’s eventual goal is to get into the electrical field. After taking a course through “Women in the Trades,” she was ready to apply for a spot through the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). She got a great score on her initial interview, but wasn’t accepted into the program. There’s limited room.
Nadya’s heard that before – and it won’t stop her from trying again. Somewhere, there’s a place for her.