Meet Beatrice & Read About Her Pathway to Homeownership!
A very happy day in 2017, but Beatrice’s life hasn’t always been so happy. Married in Cameroon to her partner of 10 years in 1997, her husband left her in 1998 to come to the United States. Three years later, Beatrice joined her husband in the U.S. only to discover he was a different person.
The physical and mental abuse began immediately, and it was only after her oldest son, then 6 years old in 2011, stood up to his father asking him not to beat his mother. The father then turned on the boy, so Beatrice called 9.1.1. and the father was removed from the home of Beatrice and her 3 children. That was when she found out that her husband had borrowed a lot of money in her name only.
She knew she couldn’t afford to pay the money back, so she sold her home and paid off the tremendous debt her husband had kept hidden from her. She knew she was starting over, but never afraid of hard work, Beatrice continued to persevere. She worked the night shift at Frederick Memorial Hospital so she could care for her children during the day. She sought help from Heartly House and was given good advice on how to overcome the trauma a victim of domestic violence experiences. The Housing Authority helped her to find a place to live and referred her to the Prosperity Center’s Credit Café.
At the Credit Café, her advisor told her to “stick to Miss Carol and you are going to be blessed.” He was referring to Carol Riggles, IHA’s Homeownership Program Manager. And that is exactly what Beatrice did. She learned how to manage her credit, reduce her debt, raise her credit scores and save for the future.
This May, Beatrice will purchase a home in a wonderful neighborhood near excellent schools and not far from work. Beatrice says, “All I want is for my children to have a good life.” When asked what her next goal in life will be, Beatrice said she plans to move up her career path from a Certified Nursing Assistant to a Licensed Practical Nurse. We all have no doubt that Beatrice will make her new dream come true as well.
