Huck House Youth Award Winner Sharon Bivens
Sharon was removed from her home at a very young age due to physical abuse and spent most of her childhood bouncing between various family members’ homes. Sharon always felt like no one wanted her and did not think there was a point to trying to make any situation work. Feeling unwanted made Sharon angry and she would regularly get kicked out due to conflict. Sharon became homeless at the age of 17 and entered Huckleberry House’s Transitional Living Program (TLP). She was pregnant with her first child and was ready to work towards independence.
While in TLP, Sharon showed that she was open to constructive criticism and self-improvement. She worked hard to develop her parenting skills, increased her ability to develop and maintain healthy relationships, and obtained steady employment. Through counseling, Sharon began to gain insight into the underlying causes of her anger and over the next year her communication improved, she learned to cope with her frustrations better, and most importantly, she began to believe in herself and her ability to be successful in life. In January of 2017, Sharon graduated from TLP and is now working full time and living independently with her daughter in fair market housing. Sharon has made great progress over the past five years. It is exciting to think about the bright future she has ahead of her.
