A couple with a young child came to Christian Community Action’s Hillside Family Shelter after being homeless for several months. They had lost their apartment after the husband was injured and could no longer work. Things were so bad at one point that the couple was forced to live separately, with the father and child living with his mother in New Haven, and the mother living with relatives in the Valley.

 

They could not find a program that would take all three of them until they were led to CCA's Shelter. While there, they went to their case manager and asked her for help because they did not have a lot of clothes or any bus fare to travel. Neighbor to Neighbor funds were used to purchase gift cards for these purposes. The funds were also used to facilitate their move to CCA’s Stepping Stone Transitional Housing Program.

 

Today, the mother is enrolled in an adult education program in New Haven, working to earn her G.E.D. or high school equivalency diploma. Once she has earned that, she plans to go on to college to study psychology. Someday, she would like to help single fathers and families the way CCA helped her and her husband. Besides going to school,  through CCA’s Program for Internships, Vocational Opportunities and Training (PIVOT), she has found a part-time job as a reception working for another local social services agency. It is a job she loves.

 

For his part, the father has been able to qualify for disability assistance, with CCA’s help. He too has his dreams  He wants to become involved in a local cable access TV show that focuses on sports.

 

The mother says “There should be more funds and programs like Neighbor to Neighbor to help families in need who are trying to become self-sufficient, search for employment and be independent.” She further states “We know we have a lot of hard work ahead of us.” “Given how far we have come in just the last six months, however, we are confident that we can deal with any challenges that lie ahead.”