"I am a single mom with three kids. We have lived in North County for six years. After four years with the same employer, I was laid off. Within three weeks my $2,000 savings account was depleted. Within two months, my children and I were homeless. The weeks that followed were some of the most desperate and scary times of my life.
I sought assistance through the maze of social programs. I was turned down because I wasn't a substance abuser, a victim of domestic violence, or suffering from mental illness. A few places could not take me because I had a child over age ten. The affordable housing programs all had long waiting lists.
Every night that went by I just couldn't believe that my family had to sleep in our car. My kids were hungry and cranky all the time. I felt like a failure - like I was letting them down. I began to lose hope.
That was just a short twelve months ago, although it seems like a lifetime. Today, thanks to North County Solutions for Change, my family and I are no longer homeless. Feelings of hopelessness were replaced with dignity and gratitude. Living in our car and unemployment were replaced with an affordable apartment that I qualified for because they helped me get a decent paying job.
Solutions for Change took my children and me in when no one else would. They challenged me, provided structure and the economic re-entry support that we needed to change our lives. They provided a safe and loving atmosphere for my children. Most of all they believed in me - and my potential for success."
- Program Graduate
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