Carmose

Born in Haiti and sold into child labor, Carmose felt fortunate to come to the U.S. But she was left to fend for herself at an early age, with no emotional support. As an adult, she turned to crime and the streets to survive.

When Carmose became a mother, she finally understood what love meant. She knew her purpose was to give her son the love and protection she never had. But as the years passed and she gave birth to another son, her circumstances grew worse. Last year, she and her two young children were living in their car.
“It wasn’t easy, but we survived,” Carmose says. When the family came to Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County, she felt safe for the first time in her life. “People cared for me, and I trusted them,” she tells us.

Carmose’s sons, Dakarai, 10, and Daevonn, 5, are thriving. Daevonn had a speech impediment and barely spoke when they arrived. Now, she says, “He’s learning to express himself, and it makes him feel good.” Inspired by the care her children received, Carmose began mentoring young people at the Mission, and plans to become a youth counselor.

That is the legacy Carmose is building, beginning with her sons. “I want to see them prosper with God as the center of their lives, so when I’m gone, they can keep the legacy going, keep being the great people they are. We have to leave a legacy and we have to do it right.”