Nina’s New Start!

          Hello World! Supporters! Family! & Hopeful lifelong friends! 

 My name is Nina! (If you are unfamiliar :) I am beyond grateful for you being here and above all for having the opportunity to share a glimpse of my life with YOU!      

 **Content Warning** > The content you are about to read explores the situations of suicide and domestic violence and other topics which some may find distressing.

                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

                                                                             Jeremiah 29:11

Born in Queens, New York , I spent my teenage years back & forth between NY and Virginia Beach. I came to sunny South Florida in 2008 at the bold Age of 19 and never looked back. After a few years of thriving as best I could in this enormous world, I began working small clothing retail store and mall jobs and eventually decided on hostess positions at popular night clubs. I was shortly introduced to the life of a dancer. Miami Beach held on tight to me, and didn’t let go. After many late nights one night I was manipulated to leave the club with a frequent acquaintance. This was a scary night. Against my will  I was relocated to what I gathered was West Florida and forced into the sex trafficking industry. By God's grace the universe put me in the presence of a person with empathy that gave me a safe way out of that shameless seedy organization. A few years later I fell into what I thought was love and got engaged to someone as time went on I began to fear. My life turned into this.. Homelessness, strange at first but shortly familiar environments and at times substances. I spent my days in chilly often rainy winters and south Florida heat integrated unimaginable violence, shame, hunger, intimidation, public and private humiliation for his amusement. There were failed escapes, that led to failed suicide attempts that at a time resulted in my hospitalization. This was what my life had seemed to become. This was my normal. As time went on this life came to a stop. He got arrested for non related charges. And there I was. Me. Pregnant with all that I honestly knew. My normal. Every Wednesday morning I went to a “soup kitchen”,  where other homeless and sometimes sketchy people would frequent. I would always come early to help set folding chairs and help lightly where I could. There would be coffee, lunch and fellowship and they then provided everyone in need with a bag that included toiletries and your choice of a shirt/pants sometimes both and even undergarments if needed. Everyone there always welcomed me with open arms. Today was a different Wednesday. After a prayer suggestion, 2 amazing women from the ministry took me out of an abandoned home at the time which I had been living in, to a safe haven for women and children. I graduated the program successfully and was then given an amazing opportunity at a program in Tequesta FL that transformed my life. I obtained my High School equivalency, CPR certification, Child Care Certification and simply elevated. Although my "fiance" was still in prison before I graduated, this program I felt accomplished and felt like a two parent household was what my child deserved. In my vulnerability I reconnected. I had blossomed, and he pretended to be proud but soon my accomplishments and new way of living seemed to anger him. The honeymoon phase wore off and the cycle of violence began. I WAS DONE! My precious children didn't deserve this and neither did I. I made a plan to leave and told no one except for my best friend and cousin. I genuinely had no idea where I was going but my mind was made up. I didn't make it to my "escape date" instead, At the end of January 2022 he got into another drunken incoherent rage and I felt this was my chance. I made one of the bravest decisions of my life... I dialed 911 and have not looked back. I left EVERYTHING but the clothes on our backs and later returned with police present to gather as much as I could. Some he had destroyed and the majority of myself and the kids' items had water damage because he decided to place them outside. It’s been a rough year bouncing from place to place and couch to coach but God has never taken his hands off of me and my boys. It really does "take a village" By God's grace they have remained safe. And the people that God has placed in my life during this time is the reason all the credit is indeed owed to him! I recently received an email informing me I was approved for housing assistance!! After being on a public wait list for 3+ years. This is the first place we can call our OWN!  

So this is a humble plea on behalf of myself and my children as we embark on a new chapter in our lives, free from the chains of domestic violence. I feel I am not a "victim" but rather VICTORIOUS for my decision to break free from the cycle of abuse, but now face the daunting task of creating a safe and nurturing home for ourselves. As we start anew, we find ourselves in great need of household necessities and furniture. These items are not mere possession but rather the building blocks that will help us lay the foundation for a fresh start. A bed to sleep on, a table to gather around, and essential kitchenware are vital components in creating a sense of safety and normalcy for my children. Today, I humbly ask for your support and generosity. Your contribution, whether big or small, can make an immense difference in our lives. With your help, we can turn an empty space into a warm and inviting home, filled with love and hope. No one should have to endure the terror of domestic violence, and together, we can take a stand and offer a lifeline to survivors like myself and my children. Your donation will not only provide us with physical items, but send a powerful message of solidarity and care. Thank you all again so much for considering extending a helping hand during this time. Together, we can transform an empty house into a loving home, and give my children and me the fresh start we deserve. 

With gratitude and so much love,

                                                                Nina