Elizabeth and her two young daughters first came to Our House after going through a divorce in 2017 that left her family shaken up and without a clear path forward. Learning how to navigate her new life as a single mom, Elizabeth struggled with paying some of her bills and reached out to Our House for assistance with budgeting and financial matters. Through the Our House Career Center, Elizabeth’s family became enrolled in CAFSI, our homeless prevention program. For two years, Elizabeth worked with her CAFSI case manager to find stability again. “As a single mom trying to take care of my responsibilities while not having a degree, Our House has been a lifeline to me and a huge support emotionally,” Elizabeth says. CAFSI helped connect Elizabeth to the resources she needed, provided counseling, and acted as a sounding board any time Elizabeth needed advice or guidance. Elizabeth was able to earn her associates degree during this time and was truly grateful that, as an Our House family, she was able to receive support during the holidays through our Adopt-A-Family program and get gifts for her children.
This year, as a recipient of SNAP benefits, Elizabeth heard that Our House was offering training opportunities to our clients to boost their job skills and employability. Elizabeth reengaged with the Career Center and qualified as a parent for our TANF-funded job training program. Elizabeth attended a nursing assistant training at no cost to her and is now preparing to take her certification exam to become a CNA! Since Elizabeth couldn’t work during the training, she was also able to receive rental assistance and educational equipment through the program. This certification will be another stand out point on her resume, qualify her for higher pay, and act as a stepping stone as she works her way up in the medical field.
Elizabeth has now started LPN school at Pulaski Tech while she continues to work as a home health aid. With the knowledge she gained from the Career Center, Elizabeth was a strong advocate for herself and found the scholarship money she needed to be able to attend school. “Sometimes people don’t know where to turn or become a victim to circumstances beyond their control and fall in a bad place, but Our House sees that you’re still working hard and help you get where you want to be,” Elizabeth says. Elizabeth is now more determined than ever to continue doing this hard work and upskilling in her field to make a great life for herself and her, now teenage, daughters!