This story is from the CCO Archives.
When Lillian’s* family came to CCO, she was 12 years old, but she wasn’t new to the homeless experience. For years, she and her family had shuffled from one extended family member’s house to another. At each new destination, disputes erupted, and she and her family were again displaced, forced to move on to the next couch, floor space, or basement. Lillian grew up with a front-row seat to the destabilizing effects of homelessness but she found hope.
“It was always the same, every day after school. I would make up a story to tell my friends why I was walking the other way. ‘I’ve got to go to my uncle’s house.’ I didn’t want them to know I was homeless. I was ashamed of it. I never shared it with anybody, and they never knew.
At CCO, I got to know the staff. They were softer, kinder, and gentler than the adults I had been around. As a child, some of my best memories were of CCO volunteers and staff teaching me how to do crafts. It had an enormous influence on me. They taught me how to tie dye. I appreciated it. It opened my eyes to art and artistic expression. I’m still a crafter today! It’s a part of who I am. While my family lived at the shelter, CCO did a lot of outdoor stuff. I remember getting out of the city and camping, experiencing nature. It was one of the best times of my childhood.”
Lillian’s family moved from the shelter into an apartment and successfully left CCO, but struggles within her family intensified already damaged relationships. “I ran away because I kept being told, ‘You won’t amount to anything.’ I knew I needed a change. All my high school years, I worked up to 45 hours a week. I would get up and go to school, get out of school, and work until midnight or 2 am. Then, do it over and over again. I had a consistent work history, but my education suffered. I didn’t have much hope. My big dream was to be the manager of a fast-food restaurant. I thought that was the best I could do.”
Desperate to break free, Lillian leaped into the unknown. “I enlisted in the Air Force. At basic training, I was asked, ‘Are you afraid of blood?’ I answered “No,” and began training as a surgical technician. I didn’t realize then how that one question would shape my life! I decided I was going to work hard in the military. The Air Force made me feel like I had a family. It was the first time in my life that I had the structure and support to achieve my goals. I’ll never forget the day one of the drill sergeants walked past me at basic training and said, ‘That Lillian, she’s going to be a great airman.’ I felt like I could fly!
I was stationed in Washington DC. I took pride in my work and the Air Force. Years went by, and my surgical technician experience and knowledge grew, but I knew, deep down, that I wanted a civilian life.
After leaving the military, I returned to Chicago and got a job at a prestigious orthopedic hospital. I wanted to shine. My work as a surgical technician was exciting and exhausting. I assisted with total joint replacements and worked 50 hours a week. I cared about the patients and my co-workers. Through my work, I learned more about medical research, which led to a yearning to return to school and get a degree. So, I did! I continued to work full-time, and I enrolled in online courses.
I got my degree in Healthcare Administration. I was told I would amount to nothing, yet there I stood with my diploma in hand. I couldn’t stop crying. It was a dream come true. I had finally shown the world and myself that I could accomplish something. I never stopped trying. Today, I am a partner in a medical technologies company and have authored a published medical research paper.
I look back at myself as a little girl trying to survive family conflict and homelessness, as a teen closing McDonald’s late at night, as a recruit entering basic training, as a young surgical tech stepping into the operating room, and as an adult student studying for an exam. I truly don’t believe I would have made it to the place I am today without hope.
When it comes to being homeless, it’s easy to give up and fall into sorrow. Don’t give up. If you’re homeless right now, find organizations like Cornerstone Community Outreach. They will help with food, clothes, shelter, training, and housing referrals; these steps will get you where you need to go. It is not easy. I’m not trying to minimize the situation, but there is help, there is hope!”
-“Lillian,” as told to Beth Nicholls
*Name changed to protect confidentiality
Families with children of all ages find shelter and support at CCO daily. 24 hours of shelter for one guest, regardless of age, is $26. Please consider donating to CCO‘s vital work today! Click here to give.