“[The girl within me]…wants her security back when she didn’t have to wonder if she could stay the night and not knowing who she had to go up against in the morning. She wants her foundations where everything was stable and nobody left her high and dry.” – Antonett F.

Today, over 2000 students in the Cincinnati schools experience homelessness. Two non-profit organizations, Project Connect and Women Writing for a Change, collaborated to bring an in-school writing program to teens in area high schools and homeless shelters. This 70-page anthology, a culmination of the program, offers nearly 50 poems and short stories written by 40 young women experiencing life without a stable home. From reflections specific to their homelessness experience, to thoughts and feelings common to just about any teenage girl, the writings offer a glimpse of the young women’s courage, honesty, strength, individuality, and sense of community in the face of overwhelming odds.

“Our Stories” was underwritten through the generous support of ArtsWave Cincinnati and The Ohio Arts Council. Profits from the sale of this book will support the outreach efforts of Women Writing for a Change.