Tracy came to Our House at the end of last year looking for a fresh start after exiting both prison and rehab. A counselor at her rehab facility directed Tracy to Our House as a place to meet good people, refocus, and get connected to resources to keep her life moving in the right direction. Tracy checked into the Shelter two days after Christmas and soon enrolled in our job training program working at the Our House Resale Store. “I was a wreck when I arrived,” Tracy said. “It’s been a tough journey the past year, but I’ve learned to take it one day at a time. With patience, the success will come.” After not working for several years, being in the job training program not only helped Tracy earn stable income quickly, but also allowed her the opportunity to get new work experience that otherwise would have been challenging to find.
Tracy enrolled in our new Housing Stability program and was able to receive assistance paying the deposit on her rental home in March. Tracy found her home through connections at the store and has now moved out of the Shelter into a quiet neighborhood in North Little Rock, secured a donated car at a great price through the Resale Store, and has officially been hired as a full-time staff member as the Resale Store Team Lead! Getting the house, car, and job have all been big boosts to Tracy’s journey to have her son live with her full-time again after a year and a half of being apart. Looking back at how far she’s come since Christmas, Tracy feels more than ready to have her family back together. Tracy recently enrolled in classes at Shorter College, and is working towards a goal of purchasing land to put a modular home on, so that she can raise her son in a place she can call their own.
Moreover, Tracy is so thrilled to remain at the store as a staff member to be able to provide guidance to other women working through the job training program. “There are a lot of mothers and single moms going through the same struggles. I wanted to be there to share my story and see where we could help each other.”