Felicity and her 6 children were fleeing domestic violence.
In February 2024, the Crisis Intervention Center in Springdale and the Fort Smith Housing Authority referred her to the 100 Families Initiative in Sebastian County, where she connected to family advocate Erica Valle.
This Initiative helps families move from crisis to career by partnering existing community resources through a collaborative case management system.
Living in a motel in Springdale, she found herself out of money and resources. She had a HUD voucher and had an apartment waiting for her in Fort Smith, but the deposit was $1000. She had no employment, no household items, no clothes, no beds, and no food.
Erica connected Felicity with St. Anne's Society for assistance with the deposit, and Felicity moved into her home on February 29, 2024.
Thanks to an outstanding work history and on-the-job training, Felicity has found a good job, re-applied for Medicaid and Snap, and enrolled her children in school. She is now working with Adult Education in Fort Smith to get her GED.
Smart Justice is a magazine, podcast, and continuing news coverage from the nonprofit Restore Hope and covers the pursuit of better outcomes on justice system-related issues, such as child welfare, incarceration, and juvenile justice. Our coverage is solutions-oriented, focusing on the innovative ways in which communities are solving issues and the lessons that have been learned as a result of successes and challenges.
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