As someone who spent her childhood moving among foster homes, Dajonna Benjamin has faced challenges from the very start in life.
But now with a little help, the 22-year-old single mom is overcoming perhaps the biggest of all for a person with her background: Building a productive future.
In May, Benjamin secured a place for herself and her 5-year-old daughter at an East Oakland transitional home that supports young mothers as they exit the foster care system.
Along with providing counseling and other services in a roommate-like setting, the home offers moms the time to build new lives for themselves and their kids.