At a very young age Kerri’s dad passed away and her mother fell into a life controlled by drugs and alcohol. Kerri found herself in an extremely unstable environment and always had a spirit of fear. When she was home she never knew who would be coming into her house. She had no guidance from adults in her life and found herself in places and situations that were not suitable for a child. At the age of 12 years old Kerri was taken from her situation and placed in a shelter. She learned about Place of Hope and called her caseworker every day to see if she was able to get in. When she came into the care of Place of Hope she found the stability and accountability strange. She had never had an adult in her life that cared where she was, who she was with or what she was doing. Even though all of the kids she encountered came from different backgrounds they all felt as though they belonged to one family. Every day Kerri would visit the staff at Place of Hope and found that their doors were always open to her. She made friendships that spoke truth into her life and showed her all of the opportunities available to her. Kerri is currently planning to attend Florida International University to study business and pursue a career in law.
Kerri's Story
