Homeless Women Ready For New Beginning After Graduation

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Almost three dozen women are ready for a new beginning, with new skills and fresh training.

About 80 percent of the graduates were victims of domestic violence who are graduating from homelessness to royalty.

"It completely changed my life," said Women's Empowerment graduate Keri Lynn-Rees.

She is one of 27 women making a career comeback.

"I will soon have housing and I will soon have a job. I want to specialize in elderly care," she said.

Through the nonprofit, these women have gone through eight weeks of training to prepare them for the workforce.

"It's been amazing," said Cynthia Newton. "I mean it's been an amazing eight weeks. I feel like I've learned a lot."

Saying the journey to get to this day was tough is an understatement. There was little hope for many.

"These are women who live outside, live in their cars, in homeless shelters, in motels or couch surfing," said director of development Kate Towson.

Most have found more than just housing.

"Our goal is to not only give women the skills they need for a job but the confidence they need to really sell themselves in the job interview," she said.

And now Newton is ready to take on the world.

"I feel like I have the confidence to be the me I was suppose to be," she said.

The theme for Wednesday's graduation was Queens Uplifting Queens, and family and friends were there to witness the royal transformation.

"Now we feel like we've been given the tools that we can actually be that queen," she said.