Ever since Kailyn Lowry delivered son Isaac in January 2010, MTV cameras have been fairly consistent presences in their lives. But producers weren’t able to catch everything — particularly the secrets Kailyn went out of her way to keep from the public.
One decision Kailyn kept to herself for years was that she slept in a homeless shelter after leaving Jo Rivera’s parents’ home. In her new memoir, Pride Over Pity, Kailyn opened up for the first time about those scary days of uncertainty.
“Nobody knew what I was doing, not even the MTV producers, and I hoped it would remain that way because I felt like utter s**t,” Kailyn said of the thoughts going through her mind during the stay at a shelter.
Even though she hid the stay from friends and MTV, the events precipitating it all played out on Teen Mom 2: After she began dating Jordan Wenner while living at the Riveras’ home, Kailyn moved into their basement. She said this was a temporary fix, but she didn’t want to take advantage of their hospitality and generosity by really overstaying her welcome.
“Jo’s family accepting me was the closest I had ever one to being part of a loving family,” Kailyn said, explaining she will always be thankful for their help. “But I was beginning to realize that I made myself believe I needed his family because I didn’t have a supportive family of my own.”
After stowing a few personal items in the Riveras’ basement, Kailyn mostly jumped around between Jordan’s house and her mom’s house.
“Obviously, I couldn’t go on like that indefinitely,” Kailyn said. “I needed my own place, but supporting myself and Isaac on a single, minimum wage income wasn’t realistic.”
Around that time, she learned about Valley Youth House, a program that provides housing for single mothers. To qualify, she just had to work at least 20 hours per week and spend two nights in their homeless shelter.
“I was very wary about staying at a shelter even temporarily, but Isaac was my main concern,” Kailyn said. “He needed a safe place to live with me and, at that point, staying at a homeless shelter for two nights seemed like a small price to pay.”
When the time came for Kailyn to register her two-night stay, she arranged for Isaac to stay at Jo’s. She didn’t tell anyone else where she was going. She even went so far as telling Jordan she was doing a community service project in that part of town.
The Valley Youth House shelter where Kailyn stayed.
Once at the shelter, Kailyn was given a large, impersonal room. She kept mostly to herself and made it through both nights without incident — just with a new perspective.
“The amount I learned in the two days I stayed in the shelter was worth more than all the money in the world,” Kailyn reflected. “It’s so easy to get caught up in your own trials and tribulations, but there is always somebody out there who has it worse than you.”
She said the payoff was also tangible: The people from Valley Youth House helped her pay rent and she was able to sign a one-year lease for an apartment of her own. With that stability, Kailyn was eventually able to pursue a better-paying job as a dental assistant. She also found a new partner in Javi Marroquin… And, together, they purchased a lovely home last summer.
