Sara
Sara was the first to enter the Pathway of Hope program at the Norwalk Salvation Army Corps. She was referred by the Corps Officer, Major L. Boynton, and after a month of meeting with the Pathway of Hope case manager, Sara’s motivation to become more self-sufficient was evident, thus, she was entered onto the POH program June 2018. Sara met with the case manager an average of two times monthly. Her two children, who became Junior Soldiers, continue to attend weekly church services at the Salvation Army - and are active in the youth brigade, Sunday school, divisional youth events. They attended Camp NEOSA last year and plan to return this Summer. Sara attends church when she is not scheduled to work. Sara’s extended family lives out-of-state, thus, The Salvation Army has become one of her main supports.
Sara was very clear with the direction she hoped her life would go. She wanted to become less dependent on government assistance, develop a budget so she could save money, move out of subsidized housing and into a safer apartment, and obtain a reliable car. Upon entry onto POH, Sara resided in subsidized housing, was the beneficiary of SNAP (food stamps) and Social Security Disability of approximately $1,000 monthly; it was difficult for her to make ends meet. She wanted to increase her income by working. Sara already had effective money management skills, such as using coupons and shopping at bargain centers, however, she was still in need of necessary items such as beds, dressers and a couch.
Sara is awaiting a kidney transplant, thus, in addition to dialysis appointments twice a week, she periodically travels from Norwalk to Toledo to become prepared for the kidney transplant procedure. The POH program has helped Sara with the cost of gasoline for these appointments. Even though Sara has serious, chronic health issues, nothing stopped her from obtaining part-time employment, working overtime when she can and maintaining that employment even after she graduated from the POH program. Sarah had completed a Will and purchased life insurance to assure that her children would be taken care of by her older sister if something happened to her; “I want my kids raised in a Christian home.”
Two months of being on POH, Sara found an apartment for her and her children. She said, “I feel getting this apartment now is a sign it’s time to move forward. I will be living with my children in a safer neighborhood and I am no longer dependent on Metro Housing.” POH assisted with the first month’s rent. The following month, Sara’s car broke down and was too costly to repair. This forced her to purchase another used vehicle sooner than expected. She found a dealership that would work with her. With zero down, the payments were an extra $80 per month, which she now is one month ahead in payments. Because of her increased earned income, Sara was able to afford the apartment while newly managing a budget without SNAP (food stamps).
After a year of accomplishing majority of her goals, Sara graduated from POH. She was able to pay her debt down and managed to put money into a savings account for emergencies. Sara also has decided on higher employment positions within the hospitality field, and recently, she had been trained by her employer for a managerial position. When asked how she gets through life’s challenges, Sara proudly replies, “My strength comes from the Lord.”