A single Mom with two young children, Kathy came to Clinton from Rhode Island driving a truck filled with all of her family’s possessions. Promised a good job and a new home, she was full of hope and excited about this new beginning. When she arrived and saw the despicable living conditions of her new home, she was forced to stay overnight in a local motel, sleepless with worry about her next steps and the safety of her children.
The next morning, the clerk at the motel suggested that she contact WHEAT Community Services in Clinton, a program of the United Way of Tri-County, to see what assistance they could offer. “I was overwhelmed by their kindness and their ability to help me and my family. They negotiated with a local landlord and got us moved in to a great, affordable apartment. Three weeks later, I was laid off from my new job, and, again, WHEAT came through, helping us with food, rent and support as I located a new job.”
Back on their feet, Kathy and her family expressed their gratitude by volunteering at WHEAT’s United Way of Tri-County supported programs. At the “Community Café” where she and her children had shared numerous meals in their early weeks of getting resettled, they returned to serve others and to give back some of what they had been given in their days of anxiety and need. Even her nine year old son took it upon himself to help out at the Hidden Treasures Thrift Shop, where he had been provided with shoes and clothes a few months before.
This year, Kathy and her family have had more challenges to face. Laid off from her job, she turned again to the United Way of Tri-County and WHEAT to receive assistance with rent, utilities, clothing, and food. With this support, Kathy made the decision to go back to school and will earn her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting in 2012.
“Without the United Way of Tri-County and WHEAT, I can’t imagine where my family and I would be today. Knowing how I have been blessed by the kindness of others has made me want to keep giving back to the community that has helped me so much. When you find kindness, you aren’t as afraid to ask for help. United Way and WHEAT gave us that, and much more. My plan for the future is to find a way to work with other people, especially kids in tough circumstances, to tell them my story and to share my hope with them as well”.
