Hannah* is a remarkable person. After experiencing so much hardship in her life, she built a brighter future for herself.

Hannah’s story is like many of the young people we serve: when her family was not a safe place for her, she was placed in foster care. “My life before KyUMH was very stressful,” Hannah says. “I was always placed in grown up situations I was not prepared to handle on my own.” Hannah experienced homelessness and drug addiction as a teenager, and her life was uprooted over and over again moving to new foster homes.

When Hannah came to KyUMH’s Independent Living Program, she was hesitant to trust us after being let down by so many people in her life. Over time, she learned to communicate her needs and realized we would be there for her. In our Independent Living Program, our staff help young adults leaving foster care learn life skills and heal from past trauma. During her time with us, Hannah built strong relationships with her peers and staff that helped her start a new path for her life. “I have learned so much and built so many bonds that I know I will keep for the rest of my life,” Hannah says.

While Hannah was with us, she worked full time in addition to attending community college full time for an associate’s degree in computer science. Hannah thrived at her job, and saw a future where she would work in a supervisory role. She even shared with her family about the positive changes in her life and rebuilt her connection with them. Hannah’s confidence in herself and her abilities have grown because of her hard work. She told us, “I’m proud of the person I am now compared to who I was when I first got to KyUMH.”

In addition to strengthening her emotional health, Hannah’s time at KyUMH impacted her spiritual health. She told us that while she always loved God, “Since being at KyUMH, my love for God has only grown, and a big part of that is from the kindness and love I was shown at KyUMH!”

*For her privacy, "Hannah" is a pseudonym