A Bright Future of Service

A journey to independence.

At the age of 29, Jerrica and her children were living with her mother when she found out she was expecting. Jerrica’s mother had a strong emotional reaction to this news, so Jerrica had to move out. She moved in with other family as a temporary solution, but it was very crowded and Jerrica needed more than just shelter to improve their lives.

Facing homelessness, she called 211 for housing assistance, but all the shelters were full. Jerrica then called Our Lady’s Inn and talked to the Program Director at the St. Louis City home. She was told that she would need to move in within a couple of days to ensure a room. When Jerrica told her mother, they reconciled, but Jerrica sensed that Our Lady’s Inn might help her to change her life. She had dreams of becoming a police officer and living on her own. Jerrica told her mother, “This is my chance to become a better mother, a better person, and to learn how to live in the world.” So when move in day came, Jerrica’s mother drove her to the Inn.

Jerrica was happy to accept the expectations of the maternity home and wanted to follow the household guidelines and receive the help offered to her and her children. Then COVID began, and everyone was locked down. The living arrangements became challenging, and her parenting skills felt strained. She even thought about leaving, but the staff offered relief and words of encouragement. With their help, she was able to persevere and take advantage of classes to help learn household financial skills and better habits. Looking back, she recognizes that the routines of their life at the Inn not only helped her, but also her children, to thrive. “Everything about Our Lady’s Inn is incredible. I would do it all again.”

After the birth of her child, OLI connected Jerrica with housing resources and helped her acquire everything she needed. She moved into a place of her own in July of 2020. “It was just amazing to me that I had these people who weren’t even blood family that were there to help me.”

Jerrica remained connected to many of the staff who supported her through that pregnancy. They encouraged her to pursue her dream of becoming a police officer. In 2021, she was accepted at the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Academy. In 2022, Jerrica met her future husband when she was involved in a car accident; he was the responding officer who made a report of the incident. Unfortunately, her progress at the Police Academy was hindered by an injury but that lead her to become a clerk at the station where that same responding officer worked. They fell in love and got married in 2023. Jerrica’s four children and her husband’s three children fill a home that they bought together the following year.

In 2024, Jerrica found a path back to police training through the Urban Policing Program at Harris-Stowe in partnership with Lincoln University. She began there in September of 2024 and graduated in April of 2025. At the ceremony, she was surrounded by OLI staff members celebrating the realization of her dream.

OLI staff cheered her on and have given advice throughout the years since she lived at the Inn. She knows she can reach out to them anytime she needs encouragement. “They are stuck with me for the rest of my life. When my kids get married, they will be there.” Jerrica’s children still think fondly of their time at the Inn and, on occasion, ask to visit the staff members who touched their lives.

Jerrica now works for a local Police Department, where she tries to encourage others to change their lives for the better as she serves the community. “You don’t have to be in the same spot all your life; you just need a push. When I got that push, I just ended up going and going and going.” We look forward to hearing about her continued success as a wife, mother, and officer.