Christina came to the 100 Families Initiative specifically for employment opportunities. This Initiative helps families move from crisis to career by partnering existing community resources through a collaborative case management system.
At that time, she was living at Jacob's Place with her partner and three children with another on the way. Christina had to call and apply for multiple housing options before attaining more permanent housing, but her perseverance paid off.
With the help of childcare vouchers, Christina quickly found employment and was excited to learn how to budget her finances. Now, Christina is proud of how she manages her income efficiently. She keeps a notebook and binder with important documents and says that in the past, she has had issues keeping track of documents that were necessary for SNAP and Medicaid benefits.
She has often said, "This binder is what helps me keep every document or paystub together for the programs' renewal periods." Christina is determined to be prepared and set herself for an easy process in the future.
With assistance from the 100 Families Initiative, Christina was given the hope and motivation to adjust her routines and is feeling more empowered than ever before to provide for her family.
While the Department of Human Services (DHS), Office of Early Childhood, and countless community contacts have helped Christina in various ways, Christina did the work and that makes all the difference.
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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