Lizzy is a single mom of two sons who are 7 and 15 years old. A survivor of domestic violence, she has had a difficult journey, overcoming addiction and homelessness while taking care of her children, the youngest of which has special needs and a rare disease. Wanting to create a new start for her family, she decided to pursue a degree in cybersecurity to provide stability and a loving home for her sons. Through her participation with H.O.P.E. Inc., Lizzy was able to receive the financial and life support needed to make her dreams a reality.
Background:
Lizzy originally started college in 2013, but had to leave due to domestic violence and subsequent struggles with addiction. After she got clean, continuing her education felt low on the totem pole of priorities. Between bills and medical expenses, she was already having to work more hours just to get by.
During this time, Lizzy was very familiar with the feeling of loneliness. “I felt alone, all the time,” she says. “There’s the saying ‘it takes a village,’ but I didn’t have a village … I didn’t have people who consistently checked on me to see how I was doing, how I was handing everything. Who could remind me that I am more than my struggles, believing in me.”
When Lizzy decided to return to school years later, she was determined to make it happen. “I knew that having a degree would enable me to provide a better future for my children and myself,” she says. “I wanted security, financial stability, and to get off of welfare.”
Client situation:
While attending school in 2023, Lizzy and her oldest son were in a car accident. Both her and her son sustained injuries, her car was totaled, and she had no way to get herself and her kids to school, work, or medical appointments. “I was faced with the decision, again, whether to leave school so I could try to work enough hours to make ends meet,” she says. “I had no idea what I was going to do or how I was going to do it. I prayed and cried and prayed some more. What I didn’t know at the time was that God was already making a way for us.”
This was when Lizzy discovered H.O.P.E. Inc. “Let me tell you something about God’s timing — it’s perfect!” she says. “There aren’t words that can accurately describe the feeling I felt when I found out I was accepted into the H.O.P.E. program. Because of H.O.P.E. and the generosity of every single donor, I didn’t have to choose between making rent and making a future for my family — I have been able to do both.”
Action:
Through H.O.P.E., Lizzy received $400 a month for rent assistance, as well as grocery cards, gas cards, and household needs, such as a dryer for her home or Christmas gifts and school supplies for her sons.
“This has enabled me to afford my son’s specially compounded medications that are medically necessary, but his insurance doesn’t cover,” Lizzy says. “Before I was in H.O.P.E., there were many months that I had to choose between filling his prescriptions and paying rent or other bills. Since being in the H.O.P.E. program, I haven’t had to choose one over the other.”
H.O.P.E. has also come alongside Lizzy with encouragement and life skills coaching, such as budgeting classes, helping her complete her resume, and more. Now, Lizzy is set to graduate in May of 2024, pursuing her dream of a career in cybersecurity.
“Sometimes we need help from others so that we can reach our goals and our dreams,” Lizzy says. “Sometimes that help comes in the form of financial support, but it also comes in the form of thoughtful cards reminding you that you are important, a mentor spending hours at the library to help you complete your resume, or providing groceries so your kids will have safe foods. It’s people meeting you where you are at in life, recognizing your struggle, and being a safe place for you, walking alongside you as you reach your goals and dreams.”
Testimony:
“The H.O.P.E. program has empowered me as a parent by giving me the ability to finish school and make something of myself. Because of H.O.P.E., I can finish my schooling and obtain
my degree. This is so important to me because my kids can see that I never gave up. Through all of the setbacks and trials we have been through, God made a way for us. It’s never too late to reach your goals, and to be able to graduate in less than a month is so incredibly surreal.” (Lizzy, Graduate 2024)
*Participant’s name and photo has been changed for privacy.
