Jessica’s Story
A Kitchen, a Car, and a Future That Lasts: Jessica’s Story
Jessica and her son, Deven, love making brownies together. Together they stir and bake it; Deven loves to lick the leftover batter.
It became an extra-special ritual to Jessica. Before moving into Warren Village in March 2025, the family never had a kitchen together, Jessica says.
She and Deven’s father had been in a sober living community. Deven had been in foster care. The family had spent months in recovery, working to get sober and stay sober, hoping to reunite with their son. When the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless connected Jessica with Warren Village, she and Deven were living at the Denver Rescue Mission.
As of July 2026, Jessica is not only two years sober, but she has graduated from Warren Village with a steady job and a fresh outlook.
Arriving at Warren Village “was really such a blessing,” she said. “And just something where I knew the Lord had put us here for a reason.”
"Strong people ask for help when they need it. And don't forget to show yourself some grace."
The Small Things That Changed Everything
When asked about what made Warren Village work for her, Jessica said it starts with “my navigator — 100 percent.”
Her first navigator, Daniella, helped Jessica build a resume. The simple act had an immediate impact.
Jessica had a cosmetology license in esthetics, but she hadn’t practiced in two years. She was searching constantly and finding nothing.
“I came to [Daniella]. She helped me with a resume. Literally, that week, I got a job.”
The position at Circle K was part-time, which fit within Deven’s daycare schedule. But Daniella didn’t stop at the resume. She helped Jessica research refresher courses to reactivate her esthetics career and secured funding from Warren Village to help cover the cost. She sat in on meetings with Deven’s daycare when issues came up, took notes, and advocated on Jessica’s behalf.
When Daniella left Warren Village, Jessica’s new navigator, Janesa, picked up where she left off. Janesa helped Jessica obtain her driver’s license, something she hadn’t had in 17 years. Warren Village covered the cost of her permit, her driving test, and the registration for her car.
“Having a job, having Deven in a daycare where I know he is safe, having a vehicle to be able to take him there, having my license,” Jessica says. “That’s huge.”
Within a year of arriving, Jessica earned a promotion. Her district manager offered her an assistant manager position, with a path toward store management. She’s holding off for now because of scheduling constraints as a single parent, but the opportunity is there, and she felt proud of her accomplishment.
Learning to Communicate
One of the most meaningful parts of her experience at Warren Village, Jessica says, has been Parent-Child Care (PCIT). It’s a therapeutic program designed to strengthen the relationship between parent and child through guided play and structured communication.
Deven came to Warren Village with a background of early trauma. PCIT taught Jessica how to communicate with him more effectively, particularly around behavioral challenges.
The sessions start in a room full of toys. A therapist observes while Jessica interacts with Deven, learning to praise him in play without giving commands, saving directives for when they’re truly needed.
“She’s teaching me how to give effective commands with follow-through and how to get him to respond,” Jessica explains. “I’ve carried those skills outside of that room. Having a plan for when he gets upset or angry.”
Jessica describes these skills as something she can “take and put in my pocket and use at home.”
Full Circle
Today, Jessica is engaged to Deven’s father. They’re in marriage counseling with their pastor and planning a late-summer wedding.
She’s also working to reconnect with her older son, Ilija, who is eight and lives in Colorado Springs. Janessa helped her navigate the legal paperwork to file for visitation on her own, breaking down documents she didn’t understand, printing and uploading filings, and offering steady encouragement when Jessica felt overwhelmed by the process. They settled before going to court, and Jessica has begun reintegration therapy so she and Ilija can rebuild their relationship.
She now has a car to drive to Colorado Springs for those sessions.
When asked what she’d say to other single parents in a position like hers, Jessica doesn’t hesitate.
“Take things one step at a time. Focus on what matters and make a plan. Small ones. Having a safe place, getting through a tough day, asking for help. Do not be afraid to lean on support, even if it feels uncomfortable. Strong people ask for help when they need it.”
And lastly:
“Don’t forget to show yourself some grace.”
