Stronger and taller
story by Andrew Seng
Down on East Third Street in Frankfort stands a line of unassuming houses.
There, in a blue 2-story building, the Franklin County Women’s Shelter provides a haven for women dealing with broken families, addictions and homelessness. Ten women like Stefanie Himes, 53, call this place home, for now, as they transition to the next stage of their lives.
"It's not about being homeless," Stefanie says. "It's all about making you stronger and taller."
At a young age, she lost her father and endured sexual abuse, she says. Health problems caused the deaths of her mother and sister, and Stefanie received various medical treatments. The loss of her job and her mobile home began a five-year span of homelessness.
Her relationship with her son has been severed, and she misses her two grandchildren. Yet, in the women of the shelter, Stefanie found a family that understands her.
"We all have stories here," she says. "We're all sisters. We look out for each other and this is home."
Despite obstacles in her past, Stefanie perseveres.
At Thorn Hill Education Center, Stefanie trains to become a customer service representative. She also volunteers at Blue Grass Community Action Partnership, a nonprofit organization that assists families in need of support. As someone who has benefited from such programs, Stefanie relishes this opportunity.
"I'm not going to let being molested, having a gun pointed to my head, being homeless define me," Stefanie says. "Yes, it's a part of who I am, but I'll be damned if I let it bring me down."
Stefanie takes steps to re-enter the workforce by studying to become a customer service representative at the Thorn Hill Education Center in Frankfort.
Stefanie helps take groceries and Halloween decorations into the women's shelter. She has confidence that she will be out of the shelter and living on her own by the end of the year, but expressed concern about being away from her friends. "The only thing I'm scared of in going to the outside world is that I feel so secure here," she says. "This is my cocoon."
Stefanie shares lotions and perfumes with her roommate Tara Gaines in their bedroom. Stefanie shares the room with two other women.
Stefanie (second from left) and other women of the house, share the community kitchen to relax, read and complete homework for class.
Stefanie and Tara Gaines discuss the responsibilities of keeping the common area clean after discovering a small mess in the kitchen. "It's not your mess to clean," Stefanie says. "They made the mess, so they need to clean it up."
It took Stefanie 10 years to realize that she would be taking medication for the rest of her life. She takes 15 different medications, such as those for bipolar disorder, anxiety, diabetes and arthritis. "This is the life of mental illness," she says. "I know it sounds crazy to say that it's a part of my daily life but it is."
Stefanie peers out the window toward homes for rent. "Lots and lots of houses and none for me to live in," she says.
Shelter residents gather on the back porch to smoke cigarettes, converse and share jokes on a Friday night.
Stefanie and Teresa Lena Smith surround Jessica Wells in celebration after hearing the news that Jessica's apartment application was approved. Stefanie shares a close bond with Jessica and will be sad when she leaves the women's shelter. "It's going to break my heart because I love her to death," Stefanie says. "She was the one who greeted me the very first day when I came."
Stefanie takes a moment to rest on the back porch of the women's shelter during a quiet evening after work. "It's not about being homeless," she says. "It's all about making you stronger and taller."