We really didn’t see it coming.
Knowing the lease on our home was about to expire, Martisa and I had saved up a little extra for moving. But it turned out that no one would rent to us. I had a past eviction on my credit report and the rental companies wouldn’t see past it.
We wanted to stay in the same town until our three kids finished the school year so we had to start staying in motels. But that got expensive, so by the time school ended, we were left with a few hundred dollars. We had no choice but to split up and move in with parents and friends.
By now, we were desperate for a solution. Thankfully, Martisa found FPE. At first, I didn’t want any part of staying in a shelter, but she convinced me that it would be a safe, clean environment for our children. And it was! Then after about a month, one of FPE’s Prevention and Stabilization apartments opened up.
Working with Brenda Myrick, we moved in about a year ago and have been trying to rebuild our lives. As part of the Prevention and Stabilization program, we meet with FPE for weekly case management services to see how we’re doing with meeting our goals. It takes hard work to move forward, especially in this economy but I’m just grateful to FPE for giving us a hand-up. We’re not where we used to be, but we’re getting there!