….. they all experienced homelessness while they were young.
Singer, dancer and actress Jennifer Lopez fell out with her mother aged 18 and ended up sleeping on the sofa in a dance studio before her big break. Singer Ella Fitzgerald who went on to be the undisputed “queen of jazz” with hits including “Dream a little dream of me” and “The lady is a tramp” was also a homeless teenage runaway. Before going on to win five Grammy awards, Country singer Shania Twain fled an abusive home-life and spent some time staying in a homeless shelter with her mother and siblings. While Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry also stayed in a homeless shelter in her early 20s.
We just wanted to share their inspirational stories with you and with our young residents on this International Women’s day! While we’re not suggesting everyone will become multi-millionaire superstars, we all have achievable dreams we can make a reality. Our Support Workers and Progression Coaches formulate a plan with each young person we accommodate or support. As part of this young people set their own goals and a plan for how they will work to achieve them. Our staff then support them all the way.
So all we can say is don’t give up! You never know what might be just around the corner!
St Basils Communications team