Ms. Spencer is a 33-year-old budding professional and mother to a two-year-old boy. She has a passion for visual art, music, real estate, health, and wellness. As a hardworking single mother, she has managed to transcend home instability and secure a stable apartment for herself and her child. Queens Defenders met Ms. Spencer in 2019; she came into the Far Rockaway Outreach Center at the time looking for help with housing. The QD Housing Team helped Ms. Spencer navigate the use of her housing voucher and obtain a furniture allowance once an apartment was found and secured.
Ms. Spencer recently reconnected with her estranged mother who was homeless for the last 25 years. Her mother lives with mental health challenges and now lives with Ms. Spencer and her son. Ms. Spencer reports that this experience has helped her conquer her own battle with depression and anxiety; she is now serving as an advocate for mental health awareness.
Most recently, Ms. Spencer passed the NYS Real Estate Licensing Exam, and she manages her own Online Health & Wellness Brand. She decided to reach out to Queens Defenders for moral support, as well as legal and financial advice. Ms. Spencer was eager to step into a new career as a real estate agent, but had certain reservations and barriers she needed to overcome. The QD Outreach Team provided the encouragement and support Ms. Spencer needed to step into her power, and into a brighter future for herself, her son, and her mother.
In preparation for starting her new job with a real estate agency, Queens Defenders donated one week’s worth of brand new professional clothing to Ms. Spencer. According to Ms. Spencer, “More important than the clothing itself, Queens Defenders gave me the confidence I needed to shine. Queens Defenders has been very helpful in my recent journey. I think Queens Defenders is a strong asset to the community and I would strongly recommend this organization.”
Ms. Spencer has been attending work training and is so excited for her future. She plans to advocate and educate the disenfranchised and lower income communities on financial literacy in order to help others traverse and defeat the obstacles she herself has faced.