Doors to Independence Opened for Keevi and Her Daughters at Lodi House
Keevi Reed had a childhood filled with abandonment, begging, murder, homelessness, school expulsions, fear and desperation.
“I was a troubled kid,” Keevi, 23, said simply.
As a child, Keevi’s mother and stepfather left her often to fend for herself with several brothers and a sister.
At 7, her stepfather taught her how to beg for money that he used to buy drugs and alcohol.
At 10, she witnessed a drive-by shooting that left a young man dead.
At 13, she was homeless. Her stepfather was gone, her mother lost housing support and moved Keevi and her four other kids into a van. Sometimes they stayed in motel rooms or moved in with any relative who would take them.
At 15, her mother was in jail, and Keevi lived with her grandmother. She was expelled from high school for fighting. She started going to a continuation high school and finally stopped going to school altogether.
Keevi was surrounded by violence and insecurity. By the time Keevi was 17, two family members had been shot and killed. A few years later, she held the hand of a friend as he died from gunshot wounds.
She was depressed, angry and lonely. She got involved with a man who was a bad influence.
At 19, Keevi was pregnant.
At 20, Keevi had a daughter and was still homeless and staying with different relatives.
At 21, Keevi got arrested the day after her daughter’s first birthday. She spent 5 days in jail, and her daughter was put in a foster home. It was the lowest Keevi had ever felt.
“I let my daughter down. I let myself down,” she said.
She struggled to find a way to get her life on track. She worked at a few jobs but left after the first paycheck. She enrolled in parenting classes and an online continuation high school. She slept on air mattresses and couches with different cousins, aunts and her grandmother.
A social worker told Keevi about Lodi House where the program could help her get the stability she needed. She got on the waiting list but soon was pregnant again.
In September 2021, Keevi moved into Lodi House. She gradually learned to trust others. She helped staff and discovered she loved preparing meals.
“I just can’t thank God enough for placing me where he knew I needed to be,” she said.
On Nov. 17, 2021, Keevi was awarded custody and reunited with her daughter Kh’Mirah. Two months later, her second daughter, Kh’Morah, was born.
“I’ve been blessed to have a second chance at life and a second chance at being a mom again,” she said.
Now Keevi is working as a prep cook at Hollywood Café. She’s saving money and will soon get her high school diploma. She’s looking forward to moving into a Lodi House transitional apartment.
“I’ve come so far. I would never want to go backwards,” she said. “Because I went through a lot, I want to make sure my kids don’t.”
To other women facing trauma and desperation, Keevi said, “Keep faith, don’t ever lose it. There is hope out there. There are people who are strangers to you who will help you.”
