As a single mom, Charity often found herself stressed out and overwhelmed with taking care of her three kids. When she started getting phone calls from her daughter Emily’s school about disruptive behavior, she felt torn between needing to be at work so she could pay the bills and needing to pick Emily up from school. Emily’s behavior at school was just one of Charity’s many challenges—raising three kids by herself had left her feeling uncertain about the future. The pressure she was feeling to hold everything together by herself was negatively impacting her relationship with her kids. At that point, the school counselor introduced Charity to Family Support Worker Tamela from HopeSparks.
Together, Tamela and Charity advocated for Emily’s educational needs, and Emily now has an Individualized Education Program that supports her social-emotional development in the classroom. Charity completed two parenting programs, and both she and Emily started seeing a therapist at HopeSparks to work on strengthening their relationship. With the support of Tamela and the Family Goal Plan that they created together, Charity applied for a housing subsidy and moved from a small trailer into a safe and comfortable home, and completed her high school education. Although she didn’t have much free time, she started volunteering at her daughter’s school. The principal noticed her dedication to the children in the classroom and offered Charity a permanent position as a paraprofessional.
Today, Charity is proud of how well her children are doing in school, and she has plans to continue her own education to become a paralegal. With the additional income from her new job and the subsidy on her rent, she is now able to engage in fun activities with her children such as family movie nights and going out for pizza. Charity’s message to other single parents is to make goals and pursue them even when it feels difficult. “It’s not always easy, but I can make the best of it and be the best that I can for my kids. It’s not what you’re going through right now, it’s how you come out of it. We’re getting there one day at a time.”