“Pam” was struggling to sleep at night, worrying about not having any money to buy groceries for her children.
She was going through a painful separation from her husband. Her income alone wasn’t enough to cover rent and utilities.
Pam felt hopeless and extra-anxious - she didn’t even have money to purchase milk for her sons.
Fortunately, a friend told her to contact Home Start’s Communities in Action program. Here was the lifeline Pam had been seeking.
Our caring Case Manager, Edna, immediately stepped in to help. First, she gave Pam a grocery gift card. Next, Pam explained she was trying to drive to job interviews but had no funds to buy gas. Edna handed her an Arco gift card. Right after, she also provided a care package of hygiene products. Pam expressed immense gratitude - she had just run out of toothpaste and soap and could not afford to purchase more.
Once her immediate needs were met, Pam continued to work with her Case Manager. With her assistance, Pam was able to find a job and soon became more financially stable. At her Case Manager’s encouragement, Pam next participated in our Financial Literacy Program. Together, they then created a budget to help her manage her new income. Our staff also helped Pam enroll in Home Start’s Match Savings program, where she was able to create an emergency savings bank account.
Today, Pam is one of the newest graduates of our Resident Leadership Academy (RLA). The RLA is a curriculum-based, public health leadership program that empowers residents from under-served and under-resourced communities to make positive changes in their neighborhoods. She and her fellow graduates are now working on creating workshops for parents and children to foster parent involvement, healthy eating habits, and traffic/pedestrian safety.
She is excited to give back to her community and looks forward to building more life-giving friendships for herself and her children.
Your support continues to change lives, like Pam's. Now through November 29th, all donations will be matched up to $50K thanks to our partner the JEM Project.