Family

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  A Family that Sticks Together

  Mother: Ashley O
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  Supportive Neighbor

  Mother: Ashley O
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  Deadbeat dad

  Mother: Crystal S

  That is my oldest daughter’s father. He’s a part of her life when it’s convenient for him, whenever he feels like, oh, I have a daughter today. Financially, nothing. Even when I had a job they made me waste two days of work, going down there to file for child support. If you want your medical and you wanna get food stamps for the child you have to take the child’s father to court for child support. Now what happens if I was afraid of him? What happens if he beat me up but my child need medical? You're telling me I HAVE to take him to court? 

   

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  Goddaughter and father

  Mother: Melissa H
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  Smile

  Mother: Melissa H

  It hinders me a lot to know that as a little girl I was raped and beaten. I never wanted a daughter, and I know I can’t make that judgment, but God gave me a daughter. And he probably gave her to me to make me stronger but it doesn’t. It makes me weaker because I’m so overprotective of her. It’s like I don’t let her do this, I don’t let her do that. And she gets mad like she doesn’t understand. She doesn’t understand. 

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  Hiding food

  Mother: Janelle R

  Certain food I have to leave in the room because if I don’t [people in the house will] eat it… they’ll go into stuff and they’ll eat stuff. Like my mom’s boyfriend’s friend, he lives here. And he also gets food stamps but I get more than him so when his food is gone he eats my food. And when somebody comes and asks you, “could I have some food?” and you have it, you wanna give it to them. But then you wanna say no, because what if my kids don’t have food to eat the next day? I hate [hiding my food], I really do. But I have to do it because I want to make sure they have something to eat.

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  Love

  Mother: Angela S
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  Family

  Mother: Angela S
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  Holding hands

  Mother: Angelica R
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  Father and daughter, asleep

  Mother: Angelica R
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  Mother and daughter

  Mother: Angelica R
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  Providing what they need

  Mother: Marinette R

  I try my best. Sometimes they get me angry because they, you know all their friends have this and that and they’re like mommy, I want this, mommy, I want that. It’s hard when you can’t get them things and I try to explain to them that one day I’m going to be all right.

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  Who knows what can happen?

  Mother: Marinette R

  I’ve been trying my best to pay my rent.  It’s been a struggle; it’s been hard.  I can’t let myself go down. I can’t be in a shelter with five kids. My kids are going to get depressed. Who knows what can happen? I always say I would never give up on my kids.

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  Funeral card for troy

  Mother: Tiffany R

  His cousin was trying to get some other boy and shot Troy (my baby’s father) thinking it was someone else.  The gunshots just kept on going.  He got shot nine times.  All he was saying was, “I’m gonna be alright.  I’m gonna be alright.”  And his eyes just closed.   I wanted to get an abortion after that because I was just thinking, “How am I going to do this?”

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  Alfonso with the twins

  Mother: Gale G
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  Gale and Alfonso

  Mother: Gale G
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  Alfonso with the twins

  Mother: Gale G
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  Older brother

  Mother: Gale G
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  Baptism in the hospital

  Mother: Christina K
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  Father and son

  Mother: Christina K