My name is Jane, I am a single parent and have a son, Mark who is 10 years old. Three years ago we were living in poverty barely making ends meet because my job paid so little. I couldn’t even pay my car insurance and one morning while driving my uninsured car, I ended up in a 3 car pile-up which totaled my car. I had to go to court and was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution. My license was suspended until I paid it off.
I was without a drivers license, had no car and no money. I felt like I was in a hopeless situation with no way out. I was unable to go anywhere without begging for rides from my friends and family or taking the bus. Bus schedules did not start early enough for me to get my son to daycare and then get to work on time. I felt so stressed and I was desperate to keep my job so that we would not lose our little apartment. My son still remembers those days of having to walk everywhere, carrying groceries to our apartment and running to catch the bus. I did end up losing my job and because we could not pay the rent we lost the apartment. We moved into a little house, temporarily, that my ex in-laws were trying to sell; knowing that as soon as it sold we could end up homeless. I got another job, at Panera, and I borrowed a bike from a friend so that I was able to get to that job. Everyday, Mark held on tight as I rode him to the bus stop for school and then I rode on to work. I got off work just in time to ride to the bus stop pick up Mark and go to the house.
Reluctantly, I began to reach out to people for help. I met a couple from church who referred us to an organization called Emergency Family Assistance. They made it possible to move into a tiny one-bedroom apartment. The couple from church encouraged me to search for a higher-paying job. In spite of all of the obstacles, they gave me the confidence to get a better job and sign up for some assistance programs that would help us with our basic needs. I was even able to persuade the courts to let me get my license back before I paid the fines off. The church also donated a car to me and my whole world seemed to be getting brighter!
And then we were accepted in to Colorado Homeless Families (CHF) transitional housing program which gave me the tools and opportunities to get my life back on the right track. I attended educational seminars and support group meetings with people just like me. My case manager and the Director at CHF helped me to think out side of the box and encouraged me to pursue my passions. This enabled me to go to school and study graphic arts. I was also able to seek counseling with a therapist. The food bank was also available to me when there was a gap in my food stamps because of an error in the system.
All together, I was able to learn life skills that had been lost or modified by my life experiences. In the final year of school I was hired on as a work study/intern and I also do freelance graphic design on the side. Mark and I were able to graduate from CHF (in 2008) and now live in affordable housing. Our life now is both exciting and scary. I have been very busy but I enjoy what I am learning and doing. I have been very humbled by these life experiences; I learned that you cannot be free unless you reach out for help. It is the financial support and encouragement of all those who support CHF that has helped me to finally get to this place in my life. I give many thanks to Colorado Homeless Families and those who support CHF.
As Jane has shared, your help is so vital to the lives of the families who live at CHF. Thank you for giving financially; it undoubtedly contributes encouragement and confidence as they are able to live in a transitional housing community with support services and to become fully self-reliant.
Metro Denver area (7 counties) and to help them become self-sufficient within 18 months to two years.