Meet Cherie Bryant

Dream big. That’s what Cherie Bryant did.

When she saw the plans to transform Tidewater Gardens, she couldn’t wait to take a chance to make life better for herself and her children. With the help of People First ^USI, Cherie used a Housing Choice Voucher to find a new home in a safe neighborhood with good schools. And she hasn’t stopped dreaming since.

“The staff took time to learn about me and my personality, and they found what would work best for me,” Cherie says. “They put me first.” 

Now living in the Old Dominion University area, Cherie feels safer, and doesn’t worry about her kids playing outside anymore. They go to good, high-performing schools, and their new college-aged neighbors have had a big influence on their whole outlook on life.

“Their minds are more open to what’s possible, to dream and explore,” she said. Plus, she knows that support from People First ^USI is “always just a phone call away.”

Today, Cherie has a stable job, and is enrolled in financial management and credit repair programs so that tomorrow, her big dreams of becoming a homeowner can come true.