Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/597435
t m c » p u l s e | n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 5 14 14 Linda, 28, has been at BAMBI for six months with her daughter, Jerasia. She thanked the program for giving her a new perspective. "It really made me change my attitude, my way of thinking," she said. "I like the new me. I'm happy, I smile more, I'm more open-minded." Linda will soon be leaving BAMBI for a transitional living program in Dallas. Though her family is in Tyler, a short drive to Dallas, Linda is ready to make it on her own. "I'm very nervous, but I'm excited. We'll be living in an apartment, just me and Jerasia," she said. "I'm going to keep in touch with my family, but visiting? I'm OK. I did it by myself here and I want to go ahead and take the journey by myself." As Linda plans for life after BAMBI, Ashley, 30, is at the other end of the spectrum. She and her daughter Kynzlee have been at BAMBI for just two weeks, but Ashley already feels changed. "I also have a 10-year-old daughter and a three- year-old son," she said. "I've always been able to go to my parents or go to somebody for help, but now I know I don't have to. With Kynzlee, I can take care of her on my own and be able to do everything. This is helping me strive for a better future for me and all my children." As one of the more recent additions to the pro- gram, Ashley said she finds inspiration in the women who have been at BAMBI longer. It's comforting to have people she can relate to, who can give her a glimpse of the future. "Sometimes when you make the choices and mistakes you make, you feel like you're the only person doing that," she said. "I like that I have support and Most of these girls didn't have role models, and they didn't get the love they needed in those first years. Now they have this second chance to do something that is almost innate, but can be robbed from you. They get the opportunity to grow emotionally. — LIZ MOORE Program Liaison for the Baby and Mother Bonding Initiative am able to go to someone that has been here for a little while and talk to them and gain knowledge from them." Moore said they encourage that type of connection by pairing new BAMBI members with "big sisters" who have been with the program for a while. The women support one another, but they also learn constructive ways to call out negative behavior. "We have a process where they get to come and say, 'I didn't appreciate it when you did this and it made me feel this way,'" said Moore. "It's not all hugs and kisses and everything is going to be OK, because it won't be unless you do the work. It can get harder before it gets easier." The journey through BAMBI has its ups and downs, and the idea of independence can be scary. With that fear, however, comes the feeling of unlimited potential, often for the very first time. "I feel more alive. I don't have so much hatred and bitterness. I have a lot of love," said Linda, while reflecting on her impending departure. "Before, I could say 'I love you', but I didn't know the meaning of love— when somebody really cares for you and is really trying to help you. I feel different in a lot of ways and I thank BAMBI so much."