At age 18, Shahidah bravely escaped an arranged marriage that had begun when she was only 13 years old. When she signed the divorce papers, she unwittingly signed over full custody of her two children and waived any rights she had to support.
Shahidah was free from her arranged marriage, but she lost her children and became homeless. Her heart was broken, but Shahidah knew she had to keep going somehow. “I had a survivor’s instinct,” she says.
After moving to Atlanta for a fresh start, Shahidah was optimistic and hopeful about the future. She fell in love with a man. They moved into an apartment together and she became pregnant with twins. To her horror, he became abusive. After she gave birth, he lost his job and abandoned them. Turned away by his family and her friends, Shahidah and her 6-month-old daughters started living on the street.
After a period of fear and instability bouncing between day and night shelters, Shahidah found Nicholas House’s family shelter, where she and her daughters had a room of their own. With support from her case manager, Shahidah got a job and arranged for childcare for her girls. Most important, she knew that every day, she and her daughters had a safe place and welcoming community to come back to. “Nicholas House was the only stability I had. It was home,” she says.
After graduating from Nicholas House, Shahidah was determined to build a better future. She went back to school to get her GED and then earned a certification to qualify her for higher-paying jobs. She started her career in the administrative field, became involved in community service and built a stable, happy life for herself and her family.
Today, more than 20 years after graduating from Nicholas House’s programs, Shahidah is a proud wife, mother and grandmother who has happily reconnected with her oldest children. She has decided to share her story to inspire and uplift families going through similar challenges.
“I believe we’re put on this earth to help people,” Shahidah says. “Today, I’m sharing my story because I feel love from everyone and I choose to give love back.”
We are so grateful to Shahidah for sharing her story of strength and tenacity– and amazed by her spirit! Her shining example will inspire families in crisis for years to come.