Local mom who once experienced homelessness becomes author

A North Texas mother as worked her way from homelessness to being an inspiration.

"I'm so proud of this project. It's a family project," Lashawnda Thompson said.

Thompson has quite the story to tell, in more ways than one.

"This book is dedicated to my beautiful daughters Mani and Myah. To all God's princesses. When God made you, he made no mistakes," Thompson said

The book Thompson recently published is called "I'm Not Ugly, God Made Me Beautiful." She calls it somewhat of a love letter to her daughters and a constant reminder of their worth.

"It was inspired by the struggles that my daughters went through in school, dealing with self-esteem and their identity," Thompson said.

She always wanted to be an author, but once she was able to overcome the struggles of hard times and even homelessness, she found a way to make her dream a reality. She said it's much more than a book, but also a journal with interactive activities for children to continue to learn. She also said this is a project that may have never happened had it not been for the assistance she received from Interfaith Family Services.

"Our mission is to break the cycle of poverty," Kimberly Williams, CEO of Interfaith said. "Our job is to help homeless families, primarily single moms, to get back on their feet."

Williams and her staff, including volunteers, make the magic happen at their east Dallas campus. There is financial assistance, housing and childcare provided so that women know their children are in a safe place, while they go to work and make lives for themselves.

Thompson called the help invaluable and certainly a hand up that has brought her to this point. She said she can only hope her story will provoke important conversations, especially with young girls, that the story of your life is never done.

"Our favorite saying is keep [your head] up so your crown won't fall. So I always encourage them daily. If you struggle, or if you comes across bas times, there is nothing that God can't get you out of," Thompson said.