Being self-sufficient is something people are often proud of and hope to accomplish. Being able to be independent and take control of our lives makes us feel successful. When things are going well, we feel good. We are on top of the world. But what happens when one event, you can’t control, decides to derail your life? This is what happened to Desiraey. During the hard times, it is nice to have someone in your corner to help provide that extra support in order to stabilize your life. HOME, Inc. helped Desiraey during a rough patch, and we are so thankful she has found stability.
Desiraey is a single mom of four children. Her oldest son was participating in football and soccer and her daughter was in show choir. Both children were very supportive of their mom. Desiraey has always been hard working, motivated, and self-sufficient. Life became increasingly more difficult when unfortunately Desiraey had a severe seizure that impaired her speech and later caused her major migraines. This caused Desiraey to miss a lot of work due to testing at the hospital.
Desiraey had to leave her position at the factory where she was working because the manual labor caused the seizures to act up. Her employer was not in a rush to relocate her in a new position. She could not receive medical leave since she was not there long enough and she could not qualify for unemployment due to technically still being employed.
Luckily, Desiraey qualified for the HOPE for Stable Families program. HOME, Inc. was able to help her with resources that she never had to use before, such as food stamps and food pantries. HOME, Inc. also provided financial assistance to Desiraey while she figured out her health situation. She was able to keep stabilized in her home because of HOME, Inc.’s financial assistance.
Desiraey reports being forever grateful for the time she has been with HOME Inc. Without the help and support of HOME, Inc. she would be on the streets with no income. Desiraey started back at work in early December after being unemployed for 3 months. She was also able to work with the union to get back pay for when she was not working. Desiraey was diagnosed with Epilepsy but has remained positive and hard working. She continues to work towards her goals of self-sufficiency and meeting with her case manager to work on her budget periodically. Her final goal is to be a homeowner. HOME, Inc. will be here for her and her family when she is ready to take on that goal!