A letter from Safe and Stable Homes Paralegal Kenisha Carson.
If Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation had been around in the city that I lived as a child, my mother would have been a client.
My mother was fortunate to be raised in a house that was part of a family plot of land passed down to her mother and aunts, down from her grandparents. However, she was eager to leave St. Thomas with hopes of making it in America.
She was the first in my family to leave and venture so far. Everyone thought she was crazy. Although some family moved to New York and Florida, it was never permanent. My mother, on the other hand, had an adventurous spirit and decided to go to Michigan after meeting a vacationing family. Of course, the cold was too much for me (even at that age), so she ventured west to the warmer climate that San Diego offered.
She was a single mother of one, and although she was ambitious – working and attending school to try to better herself – we were chronically homeless.
Just a few weeks ago, I returned to San Diego with my husband. I took him to many of the places that we lived. It dawned on me that we were evicted from the majority of these homes, if not all – and there were a lot. There is not one place that I can recall living in as a child for a full year.
She was a single mother of one, and although she was ambitious – working and attending school to try to better herself – we were chronically homeless.
Often the marshals’ knock at the door would take us by surprise, and we would scramble to find a place for our belongings as well as a safe place to sleep for the night. Sometimes we stayed in run-down motels, on a church members’ couches, and a few times in homeless shelters. Conditions issues in these rentals were not a huge concern in the places that we lived, but poverty was the biggest obstacle for my mother to overcome. Those repeated experiences caused feelings of anxiety in me at a very young age.
Fast–forward a decade or so into the future, when I returned back to St. Thomas at age 19. I had an idea to open a business. Thankfully, I had the nerve to execute my idea and it was a positive experience for 10 years. During this time my life experiences changed significantly and for the first in a long time, I had no fears or anxieties regarding homelessness or poverty – in my mind, they no longer existed.
As a result, I unknowingly became disconnected with the issues concerning impoverished individuals. I regret this in hindsight, because I always cared about issues that affected those less fortunate, since for a long time those issues had affected us so personally.
I didn’t know what I could do about these problems. And living in such a beautiful place, I really didn’t notice anyone that seemed to be affected by those issues – that was my own ignorance.
Eight years into my business, I decided that I wanted to finish my education. Closer to graduation I decided to seek out experience in my chosen field and was fortunate enough to be offered a job at Legal Services of the Virgin Islands. The organization assisted with housing, family law, and domestic violence issues as well as will preparation for seniors.
It was a small office, but there was a high demand for help. I spoke with every person that contacted us for assistance and heard every story. This involvement was an eye opener because I had no clue that these issues affected so many people, especially on a small island like St. Thomas.
The opportunity to speak with someone at a time when they are encountering a difficult situation, and to greet them with the space that they need to tell their story, as well as the information and encouragement they need to overcome an obstacle is gratifying for me.
I fell in love with the work that I did, and I enjoyed seeing the difference that an attorney’s representation or even simple advice could make in the lives of so many people. Knowledge is definitely power.
After relocating to Atlanta, I continued to look for a position that would allow me to work with the same client base. I feel connected to the individuals that we serve since I can often relate to their situations. I am very aware of the difficulties that they face as well as the concerns that keep them up at night. The opportunity to speak with someone at a time when they are encountering a difficult situation, and to greet them with the space that they need to tell their story, as well as the information and encouragement they need to overcome an obstacle is gratifying for me.
At the same time, the clients that we serve keep me grounded, even if they don’t know it. I often reflect on their strength through hard times – their resilience inspires me and also reminds me to be aware of my own judgments. I am reminded daily of just how blessed most of us are, and what the alternative could look like.
But, beyond that, my role at AVLF makes me feel that I am making a bigger difference than I could ever make on my own. Every day, I am reminded of the importance of exhibiting understanding, compassion, and empathy, when in this society, it is sometimes so easy for those qualities to get lost in the shuffle of life.
When I reflect on my last five years at AVLF, I feel good every day knowing that I work, and I am a part of, such an amazing organization that takes on the responsibility of using their talents and skills to help members of this community in a way that can benefit them well into their future, as well as into the future of their children.
Best,
