Single mom rescued from homelessness
No matter how hard Heather tried, she couldn’t catch a break. The pandemic had been knocking her down at every turn.
Heather is a 41-year-old single mother of four kids, ages 8 to 15. Her problems started a year ago, when her hours were slashed at both of her jobs due to COVID-19. She’d previously been working six days a week, up to 15 hours per day, at a nursing home and temp agency in the Twin Cities suburbs.
“I work hard because I don’t want to be on welfare,” Heather said. “I want to be a role model to my kids.”
Another problem: Her car broke down and she couldn’t afford to fix it, eliminating her ability to work for the temp agency. She continued to work at the nursing home, but she could only get there on foot – a 75-minute walk each way.
To make matters even more difficult, Heather has also been dealing with the added stress of distance learning for all four of her kids.
Eventually, after months of taking one step forward and two steps back, Heather fell far behind on her rent and couldn’t recover.
Thankfully, Heather contacted The Salvation Army for help. One of our caseworkers, Sue, started by calling Heather’s landlord to advocate for her. Next, Sue secured rental assistance funds to get Heather caught up on her rent.
Problems solved. In the span of just a few days, Heather had gone from feeling hopeless to feeling hopeful.
“Thank God for this help,” said Heather, whose finances are now improving. “My kids and I are grateful.”
Countless families are still reeling from the financial fallout of the pandemic. Because of the support of our donors and partners, Salvation Army rent assistance programs have been able to save 250 percent more Twin Cities families from becoming homeless – from 454 households in 2019 to 1,154 households in 2020. Statewide, these programs last year provided nearly $3 million worth of assistance and saved 2,400 Minnesota households from eviction.
*Alias and photo illustration used to protect privacy.
Please join The Salvation Army in serving those affected by the COVID-19 crisis by giving a donation or signing up to volunteer. Your help will provide emergency assistance and hope for people and families in desperate need.