Motivated mom finds financial stability

“Grace” experienced many ups and downs throughout her time in the FamilyForward program, but throughout it all, her strong motivation, combined with the relentless encouragement and support of FF staff and her volunteer mentors, made all the difference as she worked to gain financial stability.

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Single mom “Grace” had always wanted to become a nurse. She knew her job as a caregiver in a group home for people with disabilities would never pay her enough to support her family independently. But, between working full time and parenting her child, there never seemed to be a “good” time to get started on a nursing career. As soon as Grace was accepted into FamilyForward’s two-year program, our staff offered to pay the tuition fee for a certified nursing assistant (CNA) program. Within a few weeks, Grace began the CNA course. Squeezing in classes and clinicals while still working full time meant that Grace had some late nights. But her hard work paid off. When she completed the course and passed the licensing exam three months later, her hourly wage immediately increased. This was the first step on her journey toward financial stability.

Making connections, making progress

Grace grew up in a paycheck-to-paycheck environment, and her habit of paying what she can, when she can, continued into adulthood. Grace’s FamilyForward volunteer mentors helped her put some structure to managing her money. Following a long process of expense recording and working on a household budget, Grace became more aware of where her money was going each month. Her mentors helped Grace get on a schedule of paying bills and modestly but steadily contributing to her rainy-day fund.

Grace’s case manager connected her with a FF participant who graduated from our program several years ago. That graduate has since gone on to complete her LPN (licensed practical nurse) certification and has achieved financial stability. She was happy to talk with Grace about LPN programs and even share some of her old textbooks. Grace’s momentum continued. When Grace finished the FF program earlier this year, she had less than a year of classes left before completing her LPN certification.

Grace’s journey has included some bumps along the road. Although she continued to make progress in both the classroom and the FF program, she encountered many challenges along the way. A close family member was diagnosed with a chronic disease that requires frequent hospitalization. Grace’s aging car finally died and she had to purchase another used car to replace it. She was injured at work and had to go through physical therapy and the workers’ compensation claim process. Throughout it all, she kept making progress.

Motivation and encouragement lead to financial stability

As she completed the FamilyForward program, Grace identified its most helpful aspects. She wrote: “Of course the rent assistance was helpful. But support for school was most important. It got the ball rolling for me. Somebody was believing in me so I knew I couldn’t give up. Even with all the craziness, I kept going. With you guys here, I had to stay on top of my stuff.”

Despite all the ups and downs in Grace’s life throughout her time in the FamilyForward program, she was still able to reach her goals. Her strong motivation, combined with the relentless encouragement and support of FF staff and her volunteer mentors, made all the difference as she worked to gain financial stability.