Homeless midstate students focus on their studies

When Kendayja, 14, Kendrick, 11, and Kennedi, 9, moved from Georgia with their mom and older brother, they had nowhere to go.  They were homeless. 

They found themselves at the Stuart House in Carlisle. The Stuart House is transitional housing for women and children through the Salvation Army of Carlisle. The program is designed to move families from homelessness to self-sufficiency. It includes life-skill classes, case management services, counseling, three meals a day and a mandatory debt elimination and savings program.

The family is comfortable at the stuart House, but they’ll need to leave. The program did not receive federal funding and The Stuart House must close. The family is now searching for a new place to live with the help of the Salvation Army. They’ll need to relocate by roughly the end of summer. In addition to looking for a home, their mom is also searching for employment.

The situation proves to be stressful for the family at times. Kendayja, the oldest, says through it all their mom pushes the importance of education. The kids work together to keep their grades up. The Salvation Army helped two of the children obtain tutors through Dickinson College during the 2015-2016 school year. Kendayja often helps her younger sister, who wants to be a police officer or firefighter, with her homework.

It’s hard work and the situation is stressful at times, but Kendayja says she’ll continue to work hard and bring home good grades in order to make her mom proud.