Anna knew that financial security was a critical step for becoming the mom her kids needed. With your help, Anna’s goals were within reach.

Anna came to Community Action after a long struggle with addiction, mental health, and the financial chaos that came with it. Determined to chart a new path for herself and her children, she entered an intensive recovery program. Then she came to Community Action and worked with a family advocate on her goal of achieving financial security. She knew that financial stability was a critical step for becoming the mom her kids needed, and she was determined to get there.

As she worked with her family advocate, it became apparent that one thing holding her back was her suspended driver’s license. Not having a driver’s license limited her job opportunities and made it difficult to transport her children to school, activities, and medical appointments.

So, what was standing in her way? Over a decade earlier, she had received a few speeding tickets. On the day of her court hearing, she went into labor and missed the hearing. This resulted in the loss of her license and increased penalties. The fines went unpaid as she focused on her newborn and prioritized paying for rent and groceries. Interest accrued over the years and the balance became out of reach. She would now need to pay $3,000 to get her license reinstated.

Recognizing Anna’s demonstrated commitment to meeting her goals, her family advocate utilized Community Action’s Family Assistance Fund to pay off her fines so she could reinstate her license.

With a reinstated driver’s license, Anna is able to drive her children to school and activities. And it has opened up an exciting career opportunity.

One of Anna’s goals is to become an addiction recovery counselor.  She recently enrolled in a training program that will make this dream a reality. A requirement of this program is to have a valid driver’s license – a critical requirement that was out of reach until she received help from our Family Assistance Fund.

Anna is so grateful, “This has changed my life a lot. I have more freedom, and I’m able to help other people.”

Read more stories of how your support is making a difference.