Nefertiti was born and raised on the east side of Detroit. After high school, she enrolled in Oakland Community College, dreaming of pursuing a career in law. However, her dreams were put on hold after meeting her boyfriend and starting a family. Together, they had three children, and she chose to focus on raising them. But as the stress of making ends meet grew, so did the strain on their relationship. Eventually, her boyfriend became abusive.
For a long time, Nefertiti tried to hide the abuse, determined to keep her family together. But everything changed during one terrifying moment when her child courageously stepped in to protect her during an attack. “The moment I realized that I needed to get help is when I saw fear in my children’s eyes when I was being abused,” she shared. “I knew in that moment that I never wanted to see that fear again.”
With this realization, Nefertiti made the difficult decision to leave. She and her children moved into a cramped one-bedroom apartment with a family member, but the situation quickly became too stressful, and she was asked to leave. Unsure of what to do next, she was referred to COTS. Initially apprehensive about bringing her family to a shelter, she decided to give it a chance.
Looking back, Nefertiti now sees COTS as the turning point in her life. “I was depressed. I was lost. I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to take my life,” she admitted. “All I knew was that I wanted something different, and COTS gave me all of the tools to do that. Everything that I needed to become mentally stable, financially stable, to have a roof over my head—those were all the components I needed to change my life, and I appreciate COTS for that.”
Nefertiti began rebuilding her life through the support of a mobility coach and housing specialist. Inspired by her love of cooking, she enrolled in culinary school, where she discovered her talent for creating delicious meals. Today, she is a culinary school graduate and the proud owner of her own catering company. She lovingly curates meals for meetings and events and bakes decadent cakes.
Now, Nefertiti has her own home and feels a deep sense of gratitude and pride in the life she has built for her children. “Having a home means a lot to me. I wake up every day, and I’m grateful, and I’m happy that I have somewhere to lay my head. I’m making sure I keep my kids safe, and I feel good about the future.”
For Nefertiti, it’s not just about her own success—it’s about showing her children that life can be different. “I felt the momentum that it was time to make a change in my life,” she reflected. “I felt proud of myself. It was a big decision to make, but I felt that I put them in that position, and I had to make a change to show them something different. That is not how life has to be. You don’t have to live in a violent home with chaos. You can have peace, and you can be happy, and I wanted to do that. I wanted to give that to my kids because I wish it was something I had when I was a kid.”
Today, Nefertiti and her family are thriving. “I feel like the person I wanted to be, the person I was striving to be—the person I wanted my kids to be able to look up to, and my kids are happier.” She also feels a deep connection to the COTS community that supports her journey. “I always feel like somebody has my back. Before I came to COTS, I didn’t feel like that. COTS is my family now—they are my family.”
Nefertiti’s story is one of strength, transformation, and hope. Through her determination and support from COTS, she has turned her dreams into reality, creating a life full of possibilities for herself and her children.
