A Mom Who Fought for Her Kids and A Community Who Believed in Her

Christina, a single mother of three, lost her job and was struggling to keep up with rent, bills, and the realities of raising her children on her own.

“At my lowest point, I didn’t have anyone,” she shared. “I didn’t have family I could rely on. I didn’t have friends I could turn to. I felt completely alone and out of options.”

That changed when the 100 Families Initiative of Sebastian County stepped in and wrapped providers and resources around her. With the compassion of Melinda McSpadden and Charlotte Douglas, volunteers repaired her trailer, River Valley Waste donated a dumpster, and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints arrived to help restore the home. Community partners donated furniture, bedding, kitchen supplies, and toys. Melinda offered Christina a job at Kiddie Kollege, and life finally began to lift.

Then, right before the holidays, Christina’s stepfather asked her to leave the trailer, leaving her and her children displaced once again. Losing her home meant losing her job, but Christina refused to give up. She kept studying, kept applying for work, and kept showing up for her children. Through every setback, 100 Families and community partners continued providing food, diapers, wipes, and encouragement to keep moving forward.

And slowly, things began to turn around.

In September 2021, Christina and her children moved into the Community Rescue Mission (CRM). She soon found work at Home2 Suites. Head Start provided childcare, United Way helped with gas cards, and later she picked up a seasonal job with Grainger. She worked with DHS, secured housing assistance through the Homeless Preference Program, and began getting her driver’s license reinstated.

When Christina moved into her next home, financial struggles persisted. After talking with her sister, she was given a lifeline: the chance to move in, quit her job, and focus entirely on earning her GED, Phlebotomy certification, and CNA license. Within just a few months, she completed all three.

Christina applied at Mercy and was hired immediately.

Training wages made saving difficult, and after her sister moved out, the cost of housing became too much. Christina moved into a long-term hotel while searching tirelessly for something affordable. Despite a past COVID-era eviction on her record, she kept pushing. Eventually, she found a safe, stable home and signed a lease. As of June, she and her children have proudly renewed for their second year.

Her job at Mercy quickly became more than a paycheck. The nurses she worked beside encouraged her to apply to nursing school. At first she doubted herself — working full-time, raising three kids, and starting school in her thirties felt overwhelming. But then one night, a supervisor told her she had “the heart of a nurse.”

“So many people believed in me," said Christina, "during moments when I didn’t believe in myself.”

That same night, Christina scheduled her ACCUPLACER test. Soon after, she applied for FAFSA, secured student loans, and took the next step toward her dream. She was accepted into ATU–Ozark, a school she chose because of its strong support for single parents. Today, she is a straight-A student in every class.

Through everything, her faith remained her anchor.

“Strengthening my relationship with God has been my foundation,” she shared. “I may not always know how I make it through each day, but by His grace, I just do.”

She continued, “For the first time in a long time, I felt seen. I felt supported. They showed me that I could trust people, that I wasn’t meant to walk this journey by myself, and that asking for help isn’t weakness — it’s strength.”

That network of support — 100 Families, Community Rescue Mission, the Adult Education Center, coworkers at Mercy, friends, volunteers, and community partners — filled the space where family should have been.

“They gave me community,” she said. “They gave me hope.”

At the 100 Families Appreciation Event, Christina was able to share her story and address individuals in the room who had personally walked with her.

"For every resource," she told them, "every act of kindness, every prayer, every late-night conversation reminding me why I started — I want you to know it mattered. It changed my life."

Christina’s children remain at the center of everything she does.

“Everything I’ve done, I’ve done to give them a better life,” she said. “I hope when they look back one day, they’ll see a mom who fought for them, who pushed through fear and setbacks, and who trusted that God had a purpose in all of it.”

Today, Christina has stable housing, her driver’s license, a full-time job at Mercy, and a seat in a nursing program she once only dreamed of. She is building a new future for her children.

"This is just the beginning for us," said Christina, "and I am excited for what’s ahead — not just for me, but for every family still fighting their way forward.”

Christina is proof that community can change a life — and her story will continue giving hope to families for years to come.