LIVES CHANGED

Miriam was well acquainted with depression, as it was a recurring theme in her life. She survived an earlier suicide attempt in her 40s. Now 25 years later, she was suffering from severe arthritis and fibromyalgia, lived alone and was becoming increasingly more isolated.

When the Wilson family met with Pathfinders, an organization that helps individuals and families find their path from poverty to self-sufficiency, they were facing a daunting reality—they had no savings and no emergency funds. They knew they had to start saving immediately, but they had no idea where or how to start.

Shannon was living on the streets with her children with nowhere to turn and no way to give her kids the life she wanted to provide for them. She eventually found a boyfriend and moved the family in with him, but she quickly found herself trapped in an abusive home. Shannon had an important decision to make – continue to endure the abuse or move her family out with no place to go.

When Brittany was in third grade, she joined a Girl Scout troop that met at the neighborhood elementary school because her mother, a single parent, needed after-school care. The leader of the troop took Brittany, a shy girl who let other people take charge, under her wing.

Earl, a Vietnam veteran who served in the Army, and his wife, Mary, needed assistance with adeposit for a home in an assisted living facility. They also needed physical help to move.

Bill, an elderly Air Force veteran, was living on $660 a month from Social Security, which covered his rent, car insurance, food and upkeep on his companion animal. An unexpected personal expenditure left Bill without enough money to pay some of his bills, and he was afraid he would not be able to afford his basic needs if other issues arose.

Victoria and her daughter lived at a local shelter for several months. She was thankful for the warm place to sleep but was desperate to provide a better life for her young daughter. When she finally received a job offer, she realized childcare costs were more per month than what she earned. Victoria didn’t know how she was going to afford a home and childcare. She felt helpless and trapped in homelessness.

Monica’s childhood was less than ideal. She lost her father when she was a toddler and also lost a sibling to suicide. These hardships, coupled with peer pressure and growing pains of a middle school student, left Monica in a dark place. She had thoughts of suicide and masked her emotional pain through self-harm. What made this pain even more unbearable was the fact that she felt she had no one to talk to about her problems.

Ana was without hope. She was in a bad domestic situation, but didn’t have a way to support herself and felt that there was no escape. Then she discovered Presbyterian Night Shelter, where she found a safe place to stay and so much more.

A troubled teen with a history of violence was headed down the wrong path … Things changed for him once he was introduced to the Character Playbook program at his school.

When Billy was eight years old, he was expressing anger and sadness because of the absence of his father. Billy’s mom applied to Big Brothers Big Sisters, and he was matched with James, a Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteer who had raised his three children and had a heart for kids with challenging circumstances.

Joyce, a single mother of two, needed support after being diagnosed with breast cancer. She was worried she would not be able to provide for her family and still afford her chemo and radiation treatments.

It was a huge wake up call for David when he was diagnosed with prediabetes. He had just become a new grandfather and realized he needed to make serious lifestyle changes so he could watch his new grandchild grow up. David looked for help regarding his health and found the Arlington-Mansfield Area YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program.

Carla needed support after she lost her job of 14 years. She was extremely anxious about searching for a new job and having to answer questions on why she was unemployed. After nine months struggling to find a job, a friend recommended The Women’s Center of Tarrant County.

When Steven arrived at the Lena Pope Early Learning Center (ELC) at the age of 2, it was apparent his young life had been a difficult one. He had no structure and both parents had experienced drug use and spent time in jail. Initially, Steven had many severe behaviors including physical and verbal aggression, lack of focus, severe impulsivity and poor knowledge of academic basics. Steven received counseling services from Lena Pope and was assessed for additional interventions making it easier for him to focus and meet his potential.

Earl, a Vietnam veteran who served in the Army, and his wife, Mary, needed assistance with a deposit for a home in an assisted living facility. They also needed physical help to move. Texas Serves referred the couple to United Way of Tarrant County veterans assistance program, to help them with the deposit and the move.