Dorothy
Dorothy sent some pictures to share as she is proud of the home she has set up with the support of Families Forward Charlotte! Prior to joining Families Forward Charlotte family, Dorothy and her family had been living with her parents. The family was referred to us by the social worker at Devonshire Elementary so we could support Dorothy in finding permanent housing for her family and finding permanent daycare for her children.
She was able to do this with the help of her liaisons, Mike and Debbie Arim, and through her attending some of the workshops FFC hosted during the year. Dorothy said her liaisons have been able to motivate her and help her stay on top of tasks so that she doesn’t lose track of her progress towards self-sufficiency. When attending the workshops, Dorothy found the workshops about budgeting, parenting, mental health, education, and health insurance most beneficial. Since joining Families Forward Charlotte, Dorothy has been able to add more to her family’s savings and continue to build her credit so that she can buy a home in the future.
Congratulations on your success Dorothy!!
Melanie
Melanie and her family joined our Family Success Program last Fall and was matched with Family Liaison mentor, Christian. Melanie wanted to find permanent housing for her children and herself, and with the help of Christian and grant funds, they were able to find their own place! Now that she has a place to call her own with her children, Melanie feels “she is in a place of peace.”
Melanie attends most of the workshops hosted by FFC, but the most beneficial one to her happened to be the one on parenting. Juggling a move, going to school and being a mother is hard – especially when parenting doesn’t come with a guidebook. After attending the parenting workshop, Melanie found better ways to cope with some of the frustration she experienced when dealing with her interpersonal relationships and then managing her children. Melanie and her children now have a stronger relationship and Melanie makes sure to reassure each of them to let them know they’re not alone.
Melanie plans on becoming a CNA by the end of the year and continuing her journey of success with support from Christian and the FFC family!!
Maria
“I will be one of your success stories, I will do everything,” was one of the first things Maria said to our staff when we met her in August 2020, and she has truly lived up to that promise! At the time, Maria had no housing option and was living in her vehicle with her daughters. Families Forward immediately placed Maria in a hotel so her family had a safe place to sleep and internet access for virtual school.
Maria was determined to improve her situation. She worked with her liaisons, Kevin and Elise, to set a goal of applying to three housing programs and completed the applications in record time! She also quickly found jobs to get her on the path to stability, even with the difficult task of managing childcare and virtual learning.
Maria’s diligence paid off and she was accepted into affordable housing. With stable housing secured, Maria then turned her focus towards advancing her education and finished getting her GED in June 2021!
Kyle
Watch this news story to learn about Kyle’s success despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
**Update, Kyle has gotten married, secured housing, and started his own business!
Koman
COVID-19 Relief Fund
Families were provided with over $7,500 in food support through food gift cards and groceries/meals delivered.
$33,000+ was provided in rent and utility assistance to prevent families from facing eviction or utility shut-offs.
Over $4,000 provided for connectivity – internet service and/or phone bills.
$4,500+ provided for various other needs including childcare, insurance and car payments.
Workshops
In February 2019, we hosted an educational workshop for the families in our program. These workshops are held monthly and educate families on various topics like finances & budgeting, parenting skills, etc. With the assistance of Life Coach Julie Hutton, we worked on goal setting. Our families had a productive conversation around what they hope to accomplish in the near future and created awesome Vision Boards to help show what some of those goals might look like to them! Here you see parents showing off the vision boards they made.
Kristin and Rodney
Thompson Child & Family Focus
Thompson Child & Family Focus led a meaningful discussion on parenting tips for children of all ages as well as how to prioritize self-care for parents. They also introduced to our family partners our partnership with their Mental Health Services through Thompson Family Services Center. This additional resource are available to families as a tool to help improve their mental wellness on their path to self-sufficiency.
Each family also went home with their winter Essentials Basket thanks to amazing donors who helped provide supplies!
Anita
Anita (name changed to protect her identity) is a single mom of two kids who escaped a horrifically abusive relationship that left her unable to work due to injuries and health issues. She has been working hard to get off disability but has to get to vital medical appointments in the meantime to keep the little bit of income she receives. However, she didn’t own a car. Thanks to the generosity of donors, Anita now owns a car. Their donation left her completely speechless but will undoubtedly change her life.