Cereal with water. It was all Darlene* had to feed her family, and with no idea where she would get the next meal. Darlene calls it the lowest moment in her life, one she says she will never forget.
Darlene was 17 years old when she met Cole*and found out they had similar histories of growing up in dysfunctional homes. Darlene’s mom had chosen drugs and her dad was out of the picture, therefore Darlene spent most of her formative years with her grandmother. Cole grew up in a home where there was tremendous emotional and physical abuse, and everyone was at odds with each other. Darlene and Cole gravitated towards each other — it was as if their brokenness was the glue that made them inseparable.
“Things were really tough for Cole and I,” she said. “We had no support, no food, no car, no job.”
When Darlene found out she was pregnant, she sought help to abort her baby, but a local pregnancy center was able to assist Darlene with choosing life for her child.
Little Laney was born, and things started looking up for the young couple. Cole got a job at a warehouse and although there were still financial challenges, the young family did its best to make ends meet. That was until COVID-19 hit, and Cole was laid off from his job.
“We ate a lot of rice and eggs. For every meal, that was all we had,” Darlene said.
When Darlene found herself pregnant with her third child, she searched online to find out how she could abort that baby.
“I was very lost and felt very afraid.”
Darlene remembered her friends at the pregnancy center, and they were able to refer her to One More Child. Darlene came to One More Child in February 2020 and says she has been blessed by the classes through our Family Support program as well as getting much needed resources like food, clothing, and other household items. Most importantly to Darlene, who was not raised in a Christian home, she is learning how to talk with God and to pray for her family.
“I feel so supported being at One More Child. I can pour my heart out, and there is no judgement.”