These precious newborns entered the world during an unsettling time. One year into the COVID-19 Pandemic and their parents still recovering from losing their jobs, these twins certainly were born in “unprecedented times” for the world and for their family. After losing her job in April 2020, Jacquelyn, the babies’ mother, spent most of her time caring for her older autistic son. Since her son’s school closed and finding care for autistic children is difficult, Jacquelyn had no choice but to remain at home after losing her job. Her lack of income unfortunately led to her family becoming homeless, with seemingly nowhere to turn. Jacquelyn, her partner and their son were able to stay at a local shelter while they worked on stabilizing their lives.
Life's Curveballs
Once Jacquelyn found out she was pregnant, she realized she had little time to piece together a stable home for her children. She struggled to find childcare, struggled to find a job and struggled to maintain her relationships with her family members. When Jacquelyn made the brave decision to reach out to Family Promise for help finding a home, she had no idea the opportunities that were waiting for her.
Her case manager immediately recognized Jacquelyn’s heartache when she described her relationship with her family members. Knowing that having a strong community is a key to stabilizing your life, Jacquelyn’s case manager encouraged and facilitated discussions to mend her broken relationships.
New Beginnings
While it did not happen overnight, Jacquelyn grew closer with her family. These newly mended relationships allowed Jacquelyn to have help with childcare, so she would have an opportunity to get a job and become financially independent. With her eldest son spending most days with her family, Jacquelyn found a flexible job that would place her family back on the pathway to self-sufficiency. Jacquelyn is just one example of how hard our families work to regain their financial independence.
