Overwhelmed to Overjoyed: How Helping One Family Strengthens Community

Destiny was a young mother in a big city, carrying the weight so many parents know too well—fear, uncertainty, and the desperate hope of finding someone who would truly see and care for her child. She had heard one horror story after another about daycare programs, and as she searched for a safe place for her toddler, Mia, she began to lose hope.

Then, a social worker told her about A Chance To Grow.

The moment Destiny walked through the doors of Turnquist Childcare Enrichment Center, she felt something shift. “Wow,” she said. “It felt different—and I loved the environment and small class sizes.” She had no idea, on that first day, that her life and her children’s futures were about to change in ways she never imagined.

At A Chance To Grow, Destiny found something she had never experienced—support not only for her child, but for herself. She was encouraged to ask questions and was given tools along with activities to help her children grow—at home and in school. She was never alone in figuring out how to best support her children.

“The teachers are amazing,” Destiny recalls. She was grateful for how they strived to meet each child’s unique needs.

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And it showed.

That individualized support created lasting results. When her oldest daughter Maya entered kindergarten, she was able to write her own name and already knew her ABCs and numbers. Teachers were stunned—this was a child ready to learn, confident, and prepared.

But the journey didn’t end there. When Mia, her middle child began falling behind in speech, Ms. Carla gently recommended speech therapy through A Chance To Grow. Soon, the milestone every parent cherishes happened—Mia spoke her first words: “Mom” and “Dad.”

When the teachers noticed Mia frequently squeezing her eyelids tightly, another referral led to an eye exam—and a pair of glasses that changed her world. Suddenly, she stopped bumping into things and started moving forward with confidence and smiles.

Today, Destiny’s youngest, one-year-old Mellie, is in the same classroom with Sami, the same teacher who supported her big sisters.

While all the teachers are great, Destiny says with tears in her eyes, “Ms. Carla is amazing. She texts back immediately and finds solutions, and they even give food cards and gifts for the holidays.” She continues, “A Chance To Grow is like family. I love everything they do—not just for my kids, but for everyone.”

Inspired by the care and growth she saw, Destiny began pursuing her own education in elementary childhood development. She now worked full time with Americorps, and when a position opened at Turnquist, she stepped into the role without hesitation.

“I didn’t even have to think about it—it was perfect.”

Destiny’s children are flourishing and as a mom she feels loved and supported. And now her nieces and nephews attend Turnquist as well, making her family part of a growing circle of progress and empowerment.

Destiny says it best:
“A Chance To Grow literally changes lives. I am so thankful.”

A Chance To Grow is  honored to be a part of  families like Destiny’s— creating a  rippling effect that begins when a parent is supported, a child is encouraged, and a community comes together to give every child a chance to grow.