Kirsten Miller

My name Is Kirsten Miller and I am 21 years old. I have been in and out of foster homes since I was 15 years old and have experienced life struggles that a lot of people can’t even bare to deal with as far as coming up in a broken and unstable home and not being taught right from wrong while progressing into womanhood. June 11, 2006 was the first day I met Reverend Tina Carter at her home. I was placed there as a foster child and stayed there the remaining of my adolescent years. In the 3 short years I lived there I matured greatly into a young woman through her wisdom and teachings of life. She gave me hope and brought the best out in me and honestly helped me find myself. She saw something special in me and I felt something special in her tight loving, welcoming hug. The moment she embraced me I knew this was home. I obtained straight A’s in high school and maintained perfect attendance and a 4.0 which I had never been able to do before. In my last years I became pregnant with my oldest son. At this point I thought my time with Ms. Tina was over. Surprisingly she held on and never gave up on me and I am truly blessed to have her in my life. She prepared me for motherhood and prepared me to be on my own. When the time came I was more than ready. For 9 months she supported me and my son and shared with me her experiences as a young mother and independence. I am honored to say I was sent into the world very much so prepared.

After 6 short months my boyfriend and I decided to go our separate ways and our lease was up. We did very well financially and supported one another but we needed our space and time to grow individually. That’s what we thought. I moved into a one bedroom with my son and continued on my own until I met someone else. We moved together shortly after dating and things were okay. I financially supported all of us for a little over 2 years and things became overwhelming for me. He never helped me financially or supported me in paying bills and encouraged me to do other things with the money. He changed dramatically over time and I found myself in an abusive situation which took over my mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. We moved from apartment to apartment due to lack of money and it was always left up to me to figure out what we were going to do. For the last 6 months of our relationship he would leave me and come back over and over again. We moved to a very bad area and I isolated myself from my family to avoid embarrassment and my abusive situation. He left me for the last time and I took the chance as a way to escape my current circumstances. I knew of Ms Tina’s program and always looked over it because I chose to be with him. I knew it was always an option and I was ready for it at this point.

I was about 4 months pregnant and was homeless and alone with nobody to turn to. He had left for the last time. I resided with Ms Tina until my application came through and was approved. I saw my new home for the first time and was overwhelmed with joy and knew that I had to be blessed for this woman to open up a second part to her program just for me. I was settled and stable and didn’t have to worry about a safe environment for my sons or I anymore. She provided house hold appliances that I didn’t have and therapy to help me cope with the trauma of my life and gave me another opportunity at a better life. I have a new start and don’t have any doubts that this program will extremely help me for independence once again. I don’t know what I would do without this blessed woman of God. She went to the limits to get me out of my situation and has always advocated for me when the time was much needed. She has been my voice when I could not speak and my strength when I was weak. She encouraged me when I had no hope and gave me the tools I needed to stay afloat when I was almost under. I can also testify to the other deeds she has done to help so many other young women like myself. She has a special heart many girls will have life changing experiences because of the overflowing love God has placed in her to share with us. She is a mother like no other.

If I could ask God to save her a special throne in heaven with her name on it I would because she deserves to be acknowledged and high standards. Instead I pray she received happiness and all her heart desires in this life time. I pray that I continue to do well not only for myself but also to let her know that all she has done for me has truly mattered and I want it to reflect to the world so she can continue to be blessed. I love her with all my heart and consider her no less than my birth mother and want her to know it. I thank Reverend Tina Carter and am grateful for the program she has come up with cause I would have struggled without them.