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Our Impact Stories are our way of sharing our joy in the accomplishments of our staff, our programs, and most of all, our clients.
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A Little Extra Help Goes a Long Way
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Finances Under Control
During this time LifeSTEPS started the “Controlling your Finances” workshop where Tanya learned principles that she applied to her situation. With the personal support from her DSS and the skills she learned at the finance class Tanya is successfully living within her budget and has even been able to get her cable and internet services reinstated. |
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Working Together to Create Solutions In November, Jill and Ken were referred to LifeSTEPS Director of Social Services because they were in danger of being evicted due to unpaid rent. They had both been laid off work. Ken was receiving unemployment and Jill enrolled full-time in vocational training to increase her earning potential by becoming a medical assistant. They have a two year old daughter and they care for Jill's young brother, Joe, because his mother is frequently in jail. Jill and Ken were not receiving any financial support to care for Joe, including medical insurance. After multiple meetings with DSS Rebecca and RDSS Jennifer Savin, LifeSTEPS agreed to provide rental assistance from the Bank of America Emergency Assistance Grant, provided Jill and Ken actively pursued a solution for their situation. Together they determined it was critical that they get medical insurance for Joe, begin pursuing legal custody of him, write a letter of hardship requesting reduced rent, and come up with half of the rent balance themselves. As a result, they received $200 rent reduction for five months, and Joe's father has agreed to pay for his son’s medical insurance. They are also pursuing legal custody as this is in Joe's best interest. Since loss of employment was the root cause of their hardship, Ken and Jill attended educational classes with LifeSTEPS on employment counseling and preparing resumes, effective job searches, interviewing techniques, and career planning. Jason applied for 20 jobs before being hired full time for a job in his field, automotive technology, which is close to his home. Jill is currently applying for jobs as she continues to attend college. They have also received counseling on how to deal with stress and family dynamics. What a credit to this family that their hard work and persistence would pay off. LifeSTEPS is honored to be part of the safety net, in partnership with property management that helped this family maintain housing during a financial crisis. LifeSTEPS continues working with the family and offers them support and services as needed. |
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| *Names have been changed to respect resident's privacy. | ||
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Copyright 2009 LifeSTEPS, Inc. All Rights Reserved Contact: info@lifestepsusa.org |
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