Carolyn is a single mother of a school age daughter. She is reentering the workforce after being out of work for some time due to a medical condition that caused her to change careers. After having gone on several interviews and waiting to hear back, she became very discouraged and struggled to keep things going for her daughter. When the utility bill came due this month, Carolyn knew she was not going to be able to pay it on time. She started doing some research online to look for help and found Good Neighbors. When Carolyn called and explained her situation to a coach, we were able to help her pay the utility bill and offer her other community resources such as food assistance that would help alleviate the financial burden until she gained employment. Carolyn was very grateful for the assistance and the resources. We heard back from her the following week. Carolyn was so very appreciative for the help and the encouragement she received during the coaching. She wanted to let us know that she got a call back from her interview and was starting her new job the next day!

Mark and Jennifer have been struggling with life changes in the recent months and having to adjust to a fixed income now that they are both retired. When it became necessary to move and find a less expensive place to live, they were not prepared for the added expense of a security deposit to move in. Through their church they heard about Good Neighbors and our SURE deposit program. Mark called GN and we were able to help them with this move in expense. During the coaching interview, we also shared community resources that would help them make this adjustment. They were very interested in the community food resources and Welcome Table as they were looking for fellowship with other members of the community. We also offered the free budget course as a way to get a better handle on living on a fixed income. Mark was especially interested in this course as he was the primary bread winner and not used to the change of income. Both Mark and Jennifer were very happy to have connected with Good Neighbors!