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She's come a long way

Two years ago, teen mother Ophelia Navarro left home because she feared her infant son would be in danger. She is standing on her own feet now, after a little help from Grace House and others.

By LORRI HELFAND
Published July 23, 2006

CLEARWATER - Weeks before her 16th birthday, Ophelia Navarro became homeless.

She left because her home life was turbulent and she didn't want her 3-month-old son, Kevin Rodriguez Jr., to grow up there.

It took her a little over a year to find her way to Grace House in Clearwater, a temporary shelter for homeless families with kids.

"I don't know where I would be because I couldn't find anywhere to go," said Navarro, 18, a petite teen with a mellow voice and triple-pierced ears. "I'd probably end up in some type of shelter without my son. That would absolutely kill me to be away from him."

Navarro, who was born in Waco, Texas, grew up in Clearwater. Her mother had boyfriends, but she hasn't seen her father since she was 3.

She attended Sandy Lane Elementary, Kennedy Middle and Countryside High. She transferred to Pinellas Technical Education Centers for her junior and senior years after she got pregnant because the school has an on-site day care.

Shortly after Kevin Jr. was born, she said, she realized her home life was dangerous for her son.

Just over two years ago, she left home for good, escaping out a window and running to her aunt's house one street over.

Navarro first moved in with her friend Jessie. But that didn't work out because Jessie's home life was rough, too, she said.

Navarro then stayed with Laura Campbell, a woman she met through her boyfriend, Kevin Rodriguez.

Campbell let Navarro stay for about a month until she was able to move into a group home in St. Petersburg. Two days before she went to the group home, Campbell treated Navarro to her first-ever trip to Disney World.

"It was always my childhood dream," Navarro said.

The group home, however, wasn't a good fit for Navarro. Some of the girls were aggressive, she said.

A school social worker told her about Grace House. And in June 2005, shortly after she got a job at Albertsons, Navarro moved into a unit there.

The Clearwater facility has a dozen three-bedroom furnished apartments with a laundry room and playground.

It's one of several programs run by Religious Community Services, a nonprofit that serves northern Pinellas County and is supported by more than 80 local churches and synagogues.

The agency also operates a food bank, thrift store, a transitional shelter called Stepping Stone and a domestic violence center called the Haven.

Grace House, which serves families with children, offers free shelter and provides food and clothing if residents need it. Residents can't use drugs and are required to get a job within a week.

Residents are generally referred to Grace House through friends, family and social service agencies, program director Shellie Andrews said .

Right away, Navarro felt comfortable. The kitchen was large enough to experiment with making new foods, and she liked the quirky picnic table in her apartment, even though she rarely sat down to eat there. Best of all, her roommate was nice and Navarro really believed she could make a fresh start.

"I liked the freedom that was here, being able to save up money, and they helped me with food when I needed it," Navarro said.

Navarro stayed at Grace House for seven weeks. The facility helped her find day care for her son. It offered budgeting classes to help her manage money better.

Andrews said people end up at Grace House for a variety of reasons. Many, like Navarro, are single moms with kids. Sometimes, they become homeless because their partners leave them, or they have unexpected health issues or their house catches on fire, she said.

"A significant amount of homeless people are children and working-class people that work paycheck to paycheck," Andrews said. "It really could happen to anybody."

After seven weeks at Grace House, Navarro moved to Stepping Stone, which has 19 apartments. She paid a weekly program fee of $70.

Since Navarro was a minor and still in school, she was able to stay there for about 10 months, rather than the usual six.

In May, after she graduated from high school and turned 18, Navarro moved into a two-bedroom duplex in Clearwater, which she shares with Kevin Jr. and Kevin Sr., who is also 18.

Over her bed hang pictures of angels. In Kevin Jr.'s room, there's a photo of Navarro hugging Mickey Mouse.

Thursday afternoon, Kevin Jr. climbed on her lap as she sat at the kitchen table fiddling with an angel puzzle.

"Where's your eyes? Where's your nose? Where's your mouth? Where's your shoulders?" Navarro quizzed him.

One by one he pointed to each.

"Where's your knees?" she asked.

Kevin Jr. stared at her.

She planted a kiss on his lips.

"He has a hard time with knees," she explained.

Navarro now works at Wal-Mart, selling electronics and cell phones.

She's proud of how far she's come.

"I'm not on food stamps, I'm not on cash assistance or Section 8 and I think my mom still is," she said. "I think it's a big accomplishment that I could do better."

But she still has more goals.

"I want to get a car and I want to go to college," she said, "and when my son is 5, I want to take him to Disney World."

[Last modified July 22, 2006, 20:36:05]