Meet our Dress for Success Midwest intern – Faith!

Howdy!

My name is Faith, and I’m an intern here at Connections to Success. In the fall I will be a sophomore at Saint Charles Community College. Currently I’m working towards a degree in English with a minor in Communications, and then to hopefully continue on to law school after that.

How I wound up here at Connections to Success all started a few years ago. In the fall of 2015 I entered foster care at age 16. My mother suffers from mental health issues, and our home was neglected to the point that it was ultimately condemned. I sought help from a family member and left that unhealthy situation, just to be placed in a different kind of unsafe environment. In the last 4 years I’ve lived in over 9 different “homes” and have experienced many different life styles.

The last home I was in was a home owned by the non-profit Angels’ Arms, and they connected me with Connections to Success. This summer I had the opportunity to attend the National Foster Youth Institute Congressional Shadow Day, and shadow a member of Congress. The only problem was I didn’t own a blazer, and I needed serval outfits for the trip. So Angels’ Arms connected me with the Dress for Success Midwest boutique at Connections to Success, and I got suited with a few outfits for my trip.

While I was at my suiting I felt so comfortable, accepted, and honestly just powerful. A good outfit can make all the difference in someone’s life. I love the opportunity to be able to make someone else feel the same way. I got the business card for the woman who suited me, and even though I wasn’t really looking for an internship in the non-profit realm, I thought it would be an opportunity to learn things that I didn’t know I needed to know.

Never in a million years did I think I would be surrounded by such an amazing group of individuals working hard to end the cycle of poverty that I was a part of. Not to mention unconditional love has been a foreign concept in my life, and in my short time here at Connections to Success I’ve witnessed it nearly every day. When you walk in you are greeted with smiles and good mornings. They start the day with saying what they’re grateful for, and everyone has been so helpful so far. I’ve been doing so many different things – like working the front desk, sorting donations, suiting, and so much more. I never really know what to expect when I come in, and I enjoy every second of it. I’m ready to see what I learn next from this opportunity.

– We’re thankful to have Faith volunteer with us this summer! –