* “Stories of HOPE” feature real clients and their stories, however, we use a stand-in name and image to protect their privacy *
When you support HOPE, you aren’t just supporting a program. You are providing the advocate a single mother needs to break through barriers and secure a brighter future for herself and her children. “Daniella” is a hardworking single mother who has utilized HOPE’s 100% Choice Food Pantry for the past five years while raising two older children on her own. One of her sons is diagnosed with Autism, and her other son had to move back home from college due to rising housing and tuition costs.
Recently, Daniella’s family faced a housing crisis; due to a sudden reduction in her work hours, they experienced homelessness. When Daniella first met with our case managers, she was staying at an extended-stay hotel. She explained that she didn’t know how she would ever get back into an apartment as she had a prior eviction on her record, and despite having fully paid it off, she had already been declined by four different properties online. Our case management team provided Daniella with a curated list of housing options and enrolled her in 1:1 financial counseling to build long-term stability.
A breakthrough came when a private landlord agreed to review her application and initially accepted her. However, when he learned she would be receiving financial assistance from our agency, he declined her. Recognizing the urgency, our case managers advocated for Daniella. By directly explaining our program requirements and guarantees to the landlord, he changed his mind. He quickly emailed back to confirm he would house Daniella’s family.
Daniella recently stopped by HOPE’s offices, radiating joy. She shared that experiencing homelessness helped her refocus her financial goals for the future. Now that she has secured an affordable apartment, she is focused on saving money to purchase a vehicle and eventually plans to enter a first-time homebuyer loan assistance program. HOPE is so proud of her hard work and bright future. Thank you for making success stories like Daniella’s possible.
