Katrina and Sam have a home of their own because of your support.
Katrina felt like life was stacked against her. She just received a text notifying her that she tested positive for COVID, for the second time. Not only was she sick from the virus, but her situation was making her feel even more sick. She and her, at that time, 5-year-old son, were living in their car. Sam was supposed to be in Kindergarten, but he wasn’t. Katrina was supposed to be at her job at Walmart, but she had to call in sick…again.
Sam’s grandmother would keep him overnight sometimes and when Katrina had to work but that wasn’t as regular as it should have been. Katrina decided to call 2-1-1 again for the fourth time. Maybe this time would be the lucky charm. Later that day, she received a call back asking her to complete an assessment of her situation. She filled it out quickly and submitted it. Two days later the phone rang while they were sleeping in their car. The voice on the other end of the line told her that they would be referred to Family Promise.
Katrina was paired up with Hary, one of Family Promise's case managers. Hary recognized the importance of finding Katrina housing as quickly as possible, “Katrina and her son needed the stability of a home. The quicker we could get them housed, the better off they would be,” he commented. Katrina was on it. She began researching different locations in Orlando and found an apartment on the west side of town. She immediately submitted an application and received word that they had been approved. She hugged Sam telling him how fortunate they were to find an apartment. Sam was excited but he was most excited about the two pools that were located in the complex!
Katrina continues to work at Walmart. She advocated for herself and was given a raise. Hary and Katrina still meet regularly to discuss her budget and meeting her long-term financial goals. Sam is a happy first grader with math tests and spelling tests on Fridays. Life is feeling normal again. Katrina hopes to continue to improve her financial situation and has her eye on getting a certificate for truck driving, “I’m not scared of those trucks!” she says. “I could drive them on the weekends to help with the bills we owe.” Katrina and Sam can rest easy and begin to dream again now that they have found a place to call home.