Jennifer Wanted Change and Stability for Her Son
Martha’s success is measured by every life we have changed and every family we have touched. A very recent case includes our client, Jennifer, a single mother, and her toddler Leroy. With literally nowhere else to turn, Jennifer arrived at Martha’s with no place to stay and no prospects of a job. After a period of traumatic life setbacks, Jennifer had lost confidence in her ability to make good choices. She felt insecure about her ability to find a job in the Coachella Valley, she felt insecure about her appearance, Jennifer had even reached the point where she questioned her ability to properly care for her 16 month old son, Leroy. Jennifer quickly opened up and expressed her disappointment in herself: “I want to make changes, I need to make changes to be stable for me and my son.”
Finding Community and Support
Jennifer and Leroy quickly became residents at Martha’s, but more than that, they became members of the Martha’s Village and Kitchen community. Martha’s was immediately able to meet Jennifer and Leroy’s basic needs for food, shelter, and childcare which gave Jennifer the opportunity to attend classes offered through our Career and Education Center. Jennifer worked with her case worker Jackie to, in her words, “create short-term goals such as acquiring the skills to cook for a job and become self-sufficient”. The classes strengthened Jennifer’s confidence and were even supplemented by a beautician who came to Martha’s to provide some basic hygiene support. Within eight months of her arrival at Martha’s door, Jennifer had gained the confidence to apply for a job at a local restaurant. Jennifer not only got the job but received a promotion after just a couple months of starting the position.
Life After Martha’s
Jennifer’s new job allowed her and Leroy to move into their own apartment, where they are still living self-sufficiently six months later. Jennifer remains connected to her “second family” at Martha’s and stops by to share her success with the residents and staff. Jennifer attributes her transformation to Martha’s ability to give her the tools to “be positive about life” for the first time in many years. Jennifer is thankful to Martha’s for the critical housing, nutritious meals and supportive services she received. Jennifer is adamant that it was this “path to successful living” that gave her hope and ensured Leroy would have a safe, stable family.