By Denishe Medeline Mberi, Graduate of The Night Ministry's Youth Housing Programs and Social Media Influencer
On February 14, 2020, I wrote the following:
"My life is falling apart. I feel anxious yet look calm, I feel sad yet tell everyone otherwise. I know that I am broken, but I can't seem to find the glue to put myself back together. I want to put myself back together, but I don't know where the pieces go. I'm blindly walking into my future with no guidance, but even though I am afraid of the consequences, I am excited about the future."
I am a 22-year-old Atlanta native who recently transitioned out of The Night Ministry. The excerpt above was a journal entry I made four months before the world was put on hold by the COVID pandemic. I was a 19-year-old depressed college student who had just been released from a psychiatric ward. I remember it as if it were yesterday.
After I was released, I quickly found out that there were no resources to aid me in transitioning back to my old life. The only thing I received was medication that I couldn't afford and two sessions with the school's only guidance counselor.
Shortly after, I got into some fights which led to my suspension and homelessness. The lack of resources at my school had unknowingly set me up for failure. After months of couch surfing, I ended up at the Night Ministry.
I remember the first day I got there. I had just gotten off work and sat down on the stiff gray couch in the living room. One of the workers walked up to me and asked me how my day was. At that point, I was 20 and it was the first time someone had genuinely asked me if I was okay. After that interaction, the Night Ministry took me took me under their wing and put me around a group of adults who cared about my future and overall growth.
As I navigated my journey with the Night Ministry, I was introduced to the concept of therapy and given tools to manage my mental health. I attended group sessions where I found solace in shared experiences and began to understand that I wasn't alone in my struggle. The Night Ministry became my haven, providing me with the support and resources I desperately needed.
Thank you, Candace Musick, for being my first mentor. Michelle Thomas for co-creating a safe space for people who were often ignored. Henry Merrill for being the father figure I always wanted. Tamara Jamison and Tracy Walker for helping me while I was going through some of the hardest moments of my life. And Allison McCann-Stevenson and Carol Sharp, for being the representation of successful Black women.
Four years later, I successfully transitioned out of The Night Ministry's Pathways Program with my own apartment, a solid social circle, a profound relationship with God, and a deep love and admiration for myself that will stand the test of time. Today, I finally understand why I was excited about my future all those years ago.
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