The following is from Shania Davis, a recent Getting Ahead graduate who was part of Building Bridges in Burlington, Iowa.
Being part of the Bridges program has truly changed my life. It’s more than just a program—it’s a family. We’ve all been through struggles, but when we come together, there’s a bond formed through shared growth and healing. Every meeting reminds me what healthy support looks like—people comforting you, speaking life into you, and not judging you by your past but seeing who you’re becoming.
We’ve done amazing activities that lifted my spirit—my favorite was the vision boards, where I could actually dream again. I’ve learned to be consistent and keep showing up, even when life felt too heavy. Bridges believed in me when I wasn’t sure I believed in myself. They connected me with job resources, helped me move into my home, got my things from storage, and even made sure I had a fridge.
Miss Mona stays on me in a good way—even when I don’t want to hear it, I know it’s coming from love. She checks on my children and pushes me to stay on track. I’ve met genuine, kind people through Bridges—people I trust. Even with my trauma and how hard it can be for me to open up, I keep trying, and they keep showing up for me.
It’s healing, it’s refreshing, and it’s real. Bridges has given me a second family and a safe space to grow into the woman and mother I know I can be.
I come from a place where love wasn’t always soft, where pain came early and trust didn’t come easy. Life handed me trials I didn’t ask for—moments that cracked me open, left me breathless, questioning everything. I’ve been judged, misunderstood, and doubted. I’ve lost things that mattered. But through it all—I never stopped loving, and I never stopped trying.
There was a time when I felt broken, like I was just surviving day to day. My mind was cloudy, my heart heavy, and my body worn down from carrying everything alone. But deep down, I knew that wasn’t the end of my story.
So I made a decision.
I chose healing.
I chose truth.
I chose my children.
I chose me.
I started showing up for myself even when I didn’t feel ready. I got sober. I went to my classes. I found my voice in courtrooms and counseling offices. I built new routines, one day at a time. I prayed, journaled, and faced my past head-on so it wouldn’t control my future. I stopped hiding from the girl I used to be and started becoming the woman I’m meant to be.
People see the outside—the paperwork, the programs, the progress reports—but what they don’t always see is the strength it took just to believe again. To look in the mirror and say: You are worth fighting for. To parent my kids even during supervised visits with love, warmth, and presence. To rebuild my life from scratch with fire in my soul and grace in my hands.
My story isn’t one of perfection.
It’s one of power.
It’s about how I turned shame into fuel, pain into prayer, and every “no” into a new door I was determined to walk through.
I’m not done yet.
But I’m already so far from where I started.
And this story—my story—is not a tragedy.
It’s a testimony.
The aha! Process Getting Ahead program engages investigators (participants) in exploring the realities of poverty in their communities and how those realities impact them. They also explore the causes of poverty, the “hidden rules” of economic class, and ways to develop resources and build stable lives. Getting Ahead graduates build relationships across class lines and often join the decision-making tables in their communities.
