My Sweet, Surprising Family
In 2018, Joliet mom Shayla Day-Davenport watched God bring surprising goodness out of staggering losses.
After getting laid off the year before, Shayla had been searching fruitlessly for a new job while also caring for her 3-year-old daughter, Sasha. In March, her lack of a job became a blessing when 13-year-old Tiya and 8-year-old Ayrabella joined their family. Thanks to her unemployment, Shayla had the time needed to help the girls get settled into their new home and become thriving members of the family.
While Shayla and her husband, Steve, were thrilled to have his two young sisters join their family, they were heartbroken for the reason: The girls’ mother – Shayla’s mother-in-law – had passed away in her sleep after battling various health issues for years.
Suddenly their family of three, who were already struggling financially due to Shayla’s job loss, became a family of five. And a grieving five at that. As a sudden mom of a teenager, Shayla said she had “no idea what I was supposed to do.” These needs inspired her to seek help from a facility just down the street: the Joliet Salvation Army Corps Community Center.
There, they met Captain Wendy Faundez, who connected them with Salvation Army resources and programs to meet their physical and emotional needs. The girls started attending the center’s after-school program, where they received homework help and snacks. They also joined the center’s youth and music programs. “The girls love going there, to all the programs,” Shayla said.
All five of them started attending church services at the center, a wonderful shared activity for this newly configured family. They also received food and household items from the center’s pantry, as well as clothes, school supplies, and winter coats for the girls.
For their first Thanksgiving as a family of five last year, they received a turkey and sides from The Salvation Army. Shayla and Steve also relied on our Angel Tree program to make sure all three of their girls had gifts for Christmas. “I was so thankful when I went to pick the gifts up last year,” Shayla said. “It meant a lot.”
Both Tiya and Ayrabella seem to be handling the transition well. “They had never made honor roll before, and they have every quarter since joining us,” said Shayla. Shayla and Steve also got the girls into counseling right away to help them deal with their sudden loss.
Shayla has sought her own counseling with Captain Wendy. “She has been my ear as I deal with all this life change all at once,” she said. Captain Wendy has been happy to have a front row seat for the family’s journey. “Through the struggle of the past year, we have seen God’s faithfulness in their lives. Their family is an example of what Hope looks like in the darkest time,” she said.
“The Salvation Army has been a tremendous help to us and the kids,” Shayla said. As the holidays approach this year, Shayla and Steve look forward to once again receiving food for their Thanksgiving meal and to signing their girls up for Christmas gifts through our Angel Tree program. They also look forward to seeing how God continues to bless their surprise family by turning their losses into beautiful gifts.