Special Guest Contributor: Denise Bard
This month, Anchor House is sharing Ke’Asia’s story, one of Anchor House’s young adults currently in our Connect to Home Program.
Ke’Asia entered into foster care when she was five months old, staying with the same family who she now calls her godparents. When she turned five, her mother regained custody. She stayed with her mom until she became pregnant at 15 when her mother kicked her out. Ke’Asia was lucky and was able to reunite and stay with her godparents who helped her so that she was able to go back to school.
However, after the birth of her second child, Ke’Asia’s children were taken into the foster care system because of a relationship she was in that turned into domestic violence. Having her children taken from her caused her to spiral downward. She turned to drugs and would find herself in a homeless situation after leaving her godparents to be with her boyfriend.
At 17, Ke’Asia was introduced to Anchor House by her adolescent case worker Damion, from what was then called the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS). She entered into the Anchorage Transitional Housing Program. Things were going well for Ke’Asia but, after a month, she explained how she wasn’t ready for help and ended up going back to the abusive relationship she was in prior and once again found herself on the streets.
Ke’Asia remembers one day receiving a phone call from an Anchor House staff member who encouraged her to come back to Anchor House and go into the Connect to Home Program, one of Anchor House’s Safe Housing Initiatives. She said she thought for sure she ruined the opportunities that Anchor House had for her when she left Anchorage, but they never gave up on her. They helped her to understand how she can get her own apartment and what resources were out there.
Ke’Asia has been in the Connect to Home Program since 2018 and living a successful independent life. She will be earning her GED in November and has had many accomplishments along the way, including receiving the Douglas C. McCune Memorial Award, a financial award through the Anchor House Foundation given annually to young adults in Anchor House programs to help them pursue their goals (read our recent blog about this award and this year’s recipients).
She credits support from Anchor House including from her Case Managers, Sandra Rosario, Reana Barakakos and Alashia Mays and from Ben Thornton, the former Director of Outreach & Housing Initiatives who supervised the Connect to Home Program, and Kim McNear, Anchor House’s Executive Director, for helping her to continue on the right path. “And I like to thank God for my journey in making this a testimony instead of being part of a statistic,” said Ke’Asia.
Today, Ke’Asia continues to be involved as much as she can with Anchor House. She is part of Anchor House’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) where she attends meetings with other young adults from Anchor House where they help support one another. Ke’Asia also wants to help others who are facing similar life challenges like hers. She loves to write and has decided to write a book to help youth and young adults who may be facing similar challenges.
We appreciate Ke’Asia sharing her story, including being a survivor of domestic violence. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there is a national hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or you can text START to 88788. Services are free and available 24/7.
Youth can also call Anchor House 24/7 at 609-396-8329 to be connected to services.
Learn more about Anchor House’s programs and services.
Thank you to guest contributor Denise Bard for writing this story. Denise is the Secretary of Anchor House’s Board of Directors and the Co-Chair of Anchor House’s Communications workgroup. Denise has shared her own story of residing at the Anchor House Shelter when she was a youth.
