Jean Nicholas & Najee McFadden
Jean Nicholas and Najee McFadden met in high school.
Jean, who'd grown up in Staten Island, NY and lived there her whole life, says she was very outgoing and had lots of friends. On the first day he showed up in her classroom, Jean spotted Najee, a transplant from The Bronx. Pretty soon, she was asking her friends to find out more about the guy with the great smile.
Najee and Jean have been inseparable ever since.
A kiss to build a dream on...
Becoming engaged in July 2018, they moved to Georgia shortly after graduating from high school, with a dream to build their new life together. Jean had a goal to become a CNA; Najee, a law enforcement officer. They rented their first place in a beautiful gated community with a pool in suburban Atlanta, adopted a dog, Max, and thought they'd settled into the happily ever after.
The problem?
The young couple had not yet mastered the art of budgeting. Najee & Jean's income did not match their outgo. Before they knew it, they found their bills mounting and then they were being evicted from that beautiful apartment, even sadly having to give up their beloved dog.
Harder still…
With few options for couples homeless shelters in Atlanta, Jean and Najee found themselves running a constant hamster wheel of searching for work and trying to keep themselves together. Najee got a night shift job, but the shelter where they were staying made them walk the streets during the day to look for work. He found his way to a day program for homeless youth that would let him sleep during the day.
Najee says it was a hard time in their lives because he was working nonstop, and he felt bad that they were having to struggle so much. He offered that Jean should move back to New York to be with her family. Jean said, "No, you are my family. We are in this together."
Shelter from the storm…
Eventually, Jean & Najee found their way to a stable housing unit where they have their own apartment for the foreseeable future. Not only that, but they were each able to participate in ACSS's career training programs. Jean is now a CNA, and Najee is on track to file his application to the police academy.
Jean & Najee are now in a weight loss program and report that they have lost some weight in pursuit of their careers. They recently made the decision to join the Army Reserve together. They still live in the same apartment and are sheltering in place during COVID. They have a lot of things to look forward to.