Ketia

Ketia is a 32-year-old single mother to three children living in Dallas, Georgia. While attending Chamberlain University to get her nursing degree, she heard about H.O.P.E. Inc.’s program and reached out for financial assistance in order to be able to pursue her education and care for her children.

While Ketia was attending college to get her nursing degree, she was transitioning from being married to newly divorced with three children. As Ketia processed that she was now a single mother trying to raise her kids, she entered a difficult time of her life financially and mentally. She was struggling to manage money and spend time with her family, while also attempting to maintain her grades to get through school.

During this season, Ketia learned about H.O.P.E. through an email from her university. She was encouraged to apply, and she hoped that the financial support would give her the ability and time to focus on her education without worrying about affording rent or childcare.

Through H.O.P.E.’s program, Ketia received $400 a month for rent and $300 a month for childcare. Though the financial assistance helped her prioritize her education without fear, she also benefited from the program’s budgeting classes, therapy services, and resume coaching.

“I’m better now than when I started for sure,” she says. “It’s given me time to focus on finishing school, knowing that I had H.O.P.E. behind me to push me through. It’s definitely been a positive impact.”

Now, Ketia is set to graduate with her nursing degree in April 2023. She has a nursing job lined up post-graduation, and her new position will triple her current income. Going forward, Ketia plans to work in the operating room as a registered nurse, buy a home, and give back to H.O.P.E. however she can.

“It helps to have someone stand beside you. H.O.P.E. feels like a family; they were egging me on every month to reach my goals. We would talk about everything — how school was going, how they could be of assistance — and they would send us whatever helpful resources they could find. They are honestly an amazing tool to use in our community.”

(Ketia, 2023 Graduate)