Rebecca Beal and her two young boys were living in a family member’s garage when they found out about Secure Dwellings at the Presbyterian Home for Children’s campus in June 2024.
Rebecca had been kicked out of her abusive boyfriend’s house – again. She decided she was done, and she was never going back.
Her car packed with all her belongings, Rebecca started looking into shelters when she was referred to the Home’s Secure Dwellings program. With the Home, she can stay for up to two years and be given a chance to breathe and dream of what she wants for her family’s future.
“I was looking for a way out,” she said. “And we found the Home.”
When Vice President of Transitional Housing Sharon Moore and her team gave Rebecca the keys to her own apartment in Ramsey Cottage, one of her first questions was where to find the washer/dryer and whether it took coins. She was shocked to learn the apartment came with its own set.
“God made this possible,” Rebecca said. “God said, ‘You go where the boys are happy, where there’s not a mad man in the house.’”
As part of being in Secure Dwellings, her oldest son, Braylon, 7, was enrolled into the Home’s private school, Ascension Leadership Academy. Through a partnership with Cheaha Regional Head Start, her youngest, Jaxton, 5, was placed in a Pre-K program.
Rebecca said Braylon’s grades weren’t good before he came to Ascension. After a year of being taught by master teachers who are trained to help children coming from challenging family situations, Braylon finished in May with all As and Bs.
“It was rough before, but now he’s doing great,” she said.
The Secure Dwellings team helped Rebecca get a good job with a Talladega retail store, and she started saving her money for a deposit on an apartment as she finds her way toward independence.
After a year in Secure Dwellings, Rebecca saved enough to secure a new apartment, and in mid-May, she and the boys moved in. While they graduated from the Secure Dwellings program, Rebecca’s family is still connected to the Home. Both boys are set to attend Ascension Leadership Academy next year to continue their strong education progress.
