Turning Prayers into Purpose
The story of our Executive Director and Founding Member Alicia Hamilton.
It was high-school graduation, 1999. Alicia was living in a low-income neighborhood in Edgewood after being kicked out of her home a few months prior by her grandparents who were tired of her disrespect. With no plans for college and no clear path forward she cried out to God, "Jesus, save me." Little did she realize that three decades later, she would lead a movement that would answer the prayers of many others.
Alicia is a lifelong resident of Harford County, Maryland and an only child from a hardworking blue-collar family. Her early life was marked by both hardship and resilience, giving her a deep understanding of the struggles many families face. At just four years old, she lost her father in a pedestrian accident caused by a drunk driver. By age eight, she and her mother moved to live closer to her grandparents, but that same year her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Though her mother went into remission briefly, she passed away when Alicia was just eleven years old. Her grandparents adopted her, providing love and stability during a time of great loss.
As a teenager, Alicia faced further challenges. She struggled to find her path and was asked to leave her grandparents’ home halfway through her senior year of high school. Nine months after her high school graduation, she learned that she was pregnant and in November, 2000 she gave birth to a precious baby boy named Brendon. The domestic abuse began when she was five month pregnant and continued until her son's father abandoned them 15 months later. During this time, they were homeless and living in a motel after being evicted due to his father's aggressive and unpredictable behavior. The passing of her grandfather during this season left Alicia, her grandmother, and her young son to hold down the family together.
The following twenty years were defined by determination, growth, and perseverance. Alicia earned a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services from Towson University while raising her son, who went on to graduate from Salisbury University in 2023 with a degree in Business and Marketing. During his high school years, she ran a cleaning business to keep her son on track academically by sending him to a private high school while also caring for her grandmother through her battle with dementia.
Through every challenge and triumph, Alicia developed a deep empathy for families in need. Her personal journey, from a child who experienced loss, to a young mother navigating poverty and unsafe circumstances, to a devoted caregiver, laid the foundation for Fresh Start Furnishings. Today, she leads an organization dedicated to bringing comfort, dignity, and hope to families across Harford County, proving that even in the face of adversity, new beginnings are always possible.
