“Homelessness is a mental game that is set up to make you fail. You quickly realize people get stuck in this so long because everything gets so much harder when you lose your housing. It’s a loophole of problems that makes you want to give up, and you have to work twice as hard to get out of it.”
Kylee grew up in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago with her mom and young siblings. She grew up as an independent older sister. With her mother working nights, she and her siblings had to fend for themselves regularly. That independence, and the high expectations from her family were defining themes for Kylee as she grew up. Always a quality student, her family expected her to succeed. It was a pressure that oftentimes instilled a sense of loneliness, but Kylee’s resolve to continue forward was born out of those early years. That resolve became a crucial quality later in life.
Not long after graduating high school, Kylee had her first son and that self-reliance became more important than ever. Things got rocky at home, and an attempt to stay with friends didn’t work out. During that same time period, three close family members passed away – and her job grew tired of her bereavement leave.
As all of these crises compounded together, Kylee and her son were forced out onto the streets. She remembers that first night in her car, parked on the side of the road, crying. She remembers just how lonely that moment was – but once again, that resolve shined through.
“I remember seeing how cramped my baby was in our tiny Honda Civic and our bags, and I said we can’t do this. He doesn’t deserve this – and I did everything in my power to figure out something.”
The next day, Kylee found a shelter on the south side of the city and got to work. That shelter would be her home for the next eight months, as she worked with case managers to find real solutions. It wasn’t easy, being restricted to the rules of the shelter with a toddler. She was simultaneously raising her boy, looking for housing and work, and trying to maintain her own mental health while having no privacy or security.
For someone like Kylee, someone who has been raised to expect more of herself, the experience was demoralizing – but she just continued to keep her eye on the prize. At the end of those eight months, she got a call from a program manager with Heartland Alliance Health’s Young Adult Supportive Services (YASS) team. They found her family a new apartment.
“I thought it was too good to be true, but the people at Heartland seemed really concerned for my needs and what I wanted. They made sure I was involved every step of the process.”
That first night, they slept really, really well. The baby had running space to play around, and the queen-sized bed was a welcome change from the small mats at the shelter. It was a much needed moment of respite, because the real work with the YASS team began in the days to follow.
Gloria Johnson, YASS Case Manager, meets with Kylee on a regular basis to find new pathways toward self-sufficiency. She has helped Kylee get new furniture and connected her with other Heartland Alliance Health services, including free healthcare for her family, regular COVID testing, and access to a therapist.
“Heartland is full of awesome people. You guys have helped me stop beating myself up. Things don’t always go as planned, and I expect a lot out of myself, but you all have helped me to realize things will be okay. It’s comforting to know I have a team to help me at my side.”
Thanks to the people at the YASS program, Kylee has shifted her thoughts toward the future. She’s working again – and working nights, just like her mom did when she was a child. The goal is to get back onto a path that helps her find her own home one day. She dreams of having a garden, something she can use to help others find nourishment and health.
Kylee knows she’ll have it someday, thanks to a few folks who helped her get back on her feet.
“This new place gives me a sense of confidence – and honestly, never-ending hope. We’ve gotten this far and we’ve made it out of the worst times, there is so much that I want and need to accomplish. I want to make sure my kids have more than I did.”
