We came across Heather’s four children one clothing bank shopping day. Her three little boys and their big sister were sitting in our rose garden. During a brief interaction with the children, eight-year-old Amanda told us that her dad had been hurt in a car accident and couldn’t go to work. Her mom had been trying to find a job but hadn’t been able to. “We might have to move out of our house next month and find a camp to stay in,” she said. “My mom was crying when she was shopping and it scares us, so we are waiting out here.
We went immediately to find their mom. Everything the children had told us was true. What we discovered, however, was that their mom was crying because everyone had been so kind to her and she was finding so many things that her children needed that she was completely overwhelmed with relief.
We were able help Heather catch up on the rent and referred her to another agency that helped her catch up on the utility bill. We encouraged her to apply to the Women’s Education and Employment agency in Tacoma and provided her gas money for the weeks that she attended their class sessions. They helped her update her secretarial skills, gave her new confidence, coached her before her interviews, and actually helped her find a job!