Starkela’s Comeback Story - The City Mission of Cleveland, Ohio

Starkela’s Comeback Story

Changing Lives Through Faith

In Need of a Different Path

Starkela grew up in poverty with eight siblings, and eventually ended up in foster care. “I always knew that I had to figure out a different path. I had to get out of this cycle,” she says. However, after giving birth to her third child, Starkela realized that was easier said than done.

“There was a lot of personal drama,” Starkela remembers. She went to live with her father, but his studio apartment in a senior center wasn’t suitable for two adults and three children. After two months, she began calling Laura’s Home.

Making Progress

When Starkela learned that Laura’s Home had a place for her family, she was ecstatic. “It was the best thing in my life! Everyone was so nice.” Starkela says Laura’s Home has helped her focus on her kids, her health, and her relationship with God. “I wanted structure, a foundation. The classes make you think and help you grow. Every single day when I wake up, I know that there’s progress,” she says.

“I want my kids to know that they have a mother who will do anything to make sure that they’re safe and well-kept. I just want them to be happy. I don’t want them to have a childhood like I had.”

Looking Toward New Horizons

Starkela is breaking the cycle of poverty, with plans to finish her education and find a job. But best of all, Starkela has been selected for the New Horizons Program, which will empower her to become a homeowner in the span of just a few years! Overwhelmed with joy for this new adventure, Starkela shares what we pray all our clients will come to understand: “I just know now that God has a purpose for me.”

“Before The City Mission, I was [broken]. Because of The City Mission, I’m fixed.”
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