With help and encouragement from her FamilyForward mentors, Mom T achieved several successes. But the greatest success of all was a sense of hope.
Mom T applied to FamilyForward after her children’s father exited the household and she fell behind on some bills. With immediate rent support from FamilyForward, she was able to stay in her apartment and get caught up on her car payments and cellphone bill.
Special needs, special help
Mom T has a child with multiple special needs. Like so many parents of a child with special needs, Mom T could not work overtime hours. There are limited childcare options that can accommodate her child’s needs. At one point during her time in FamilyForward, that child required hospitalization, and then several weeks of daily outpatient therapy. FamilyForward’s rent assistance was critical in helping Mom T stay current on her bills while she dealt with the logistics and stress of getting her child the needed medical care.
Mentoring was equally critical. Adjusting to life on a single income, juggling all the logistics of parenting two children, and working full time made Mom T feel scared and overwhelmed. In her final meeting, Mom T described how much she appreciated having volunteer mentors to talk to every week. They gave her fresh ideas about her finances and employment. They gave her a weekly “to-do” list, which helped her stay on track. But mostly her mentors listened and gave her encouragement that she did not receive from anyone else in her life.
The greatest success: A sense of hope
Before she graduated from our program, Mom T earned a promotion at work, resulting in a $3 per hour increase in pay. The most important success she achieved, however, was a sense of hope. Because she and her children did not lose their housing, and because her FamilyForward mentors believed in her, Mom T never gave up.
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