Growing Up with GLIDE, Becoming a Mother, and Building a Future

If someone asked me what GLIDE has meant to my life, I would say it has been present during some of the most important stages of my journey. It helped me learn English, succeed in school, make memories, and feel supported as a child. Years later, it helped me become a confident parent by providing care, resources, and opportunities for my own son. The lessons, relationships, and experiences I gained there have stayed with me throughout my life.

Family Support Spotlight: Nicky Bendana on Healing and Community

In 2009, Nikki found stability through a domestic violence shelter and later housing at the Verona apartments. That same year, she began volunteering at Glide. “At first I went just to help in the kitchen,” she remembered, “but soon I realized GLIDE was giving me so much more. GLIDE gave me friends, family, and a safe place where I could be myself.” It was the kindness of the people she met at GLIDE that lifted her most: “They didn’t judge me. They accepted me just the way I am.”