When Kaitlyn and her family were living at the House of the Good Shepherd, she received a letter that would change her life. 

“I was accepted into my dream school — the University of Chicago,” said Kaitlyn, who just graduated last June after earning a full-ride, four-year scholarship to the prestigious university.  

Her experience as the daughter of a domestic violence survivor and as a resident at the House of the Good Shepherd Ministry (HGS) inspired her to pursue a career in advocacy. 

“I continue to expand my vision of accountability and justice in my pursuit of a legal career, and I hope to be as humanizing and present as the people I met at HGS,” she said.  

It was not the first shelter Kaitlyn and her family lived in, but it was the last. 

Kaitlyn, her brother, and mother moved into Catholic Charities’ House of the Good Shepherd in 2019. There, they found rhythm, community, and healing. 

Welcoming community

The House of the Good Shepherd Ministry welcomes survivors of violence and abuse regardless of race, ethnic origin, and religious affiliation. The recovery program empowers women and their children to leave behind the cycle of violent homes, step out of poverty, and embrace a future of hope and independence. 

“The House of the Good Shepherd was the first time in a while my family had a space to call our own,” Kaitlyn said during her remarks at the annual Glow of Hope fundraising brunch on Nov. 2, 2025. “It was the conflux of communal and private space that provided the collective healing my family so desperately needed.” 

On-site case managers provided an empathetic and culturally competent ear during one-on-one counseling sessions. Kaitlyn’s mom attended a variety of classes including English as a Second Language, completed her GED, and participated in healing circles.  

“My mother was able to focus on different programming because she knew her kids were good hands,” Kaitlyn said. “HGS gave my brother and me space to focus on our studies.” 

Escaping domestic violence and traveling to multiple shelters forced Kaitlyn and her brother to often transfer schools until they arrived at HGS.  

“Attending one high school, just one, was a blessing made possible by the longer term stay and physical stability at HGS,” Kaitlyn said. “I could end the school day knowing I was going home to a quiet environment where I could do my homework and submit college applications to institutions that, at the time, seemed out of reach to me.” 

Meanwhile, HGS connected her mother with employment and rapid re-housing, which  assisted with rent payments until she was self-sufficient. 

Kaitlyn recently joined a law firm in Berkeley, California, as an assistant with plans to eventually attend law school and “strive for a future without violence and stronger communities.”