Against the Odds - The Chances are Good

"I was raised in a real poor family by my mom. I have four brothers and
two sisters, and we lived off welfare in a two-bedroom house. My mom was
doing drugs." At the age of five Kizzie Hogan was put in a foster home where
there was plenty of discipline. She didn't see her mom for a long time. At eleven she ran away, returning to her mom. "In high school I was back with my mother, but she was still using. We had to look out for ourselves. I did the shopping and took care of my little sister." At sixteen Kizzie dropped out of high school. She graduated from marijuana to cocaine to crack, a habit she supported by any means necessary. At nineteen she went through her pregnancy without seeing a doctor. Her son Chance was born addicted. Children's Protective Services told her that she'd have to be in Residential treatment if she wanted to maintain custody of her baby. So Kizzie and Chance came to live at Malaika House. She was scared at first. Chance was jittery and jumpy for a month, but now he's thriving and the doctor said he's as normal as any baby.

In spite of her own chaotic upbringing, Kizzie is a natural as a mother. She's calm and attentive and takes excellent care of her son. She's also shooting for a much better future. "Since I was a kid, I've always wanted to be a doctor." So she's taking one step at a time. She's enrolled in OICW's GED program and plans to take their nursing assistant certification program.

Life is in her favor now. By the luck of the draw Kizzie was selected for one of a limited number of the new Peninsula Park Apartments allocated for low-income residents. Now she and her son have their first home and a great start to their new life.

Success Stories

Salvador Gallardo
Read his story

Kizzie Hogan
Read her story

Rodney Mason
Read his story

Collie Pierce
Read his story

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