Success story

I get asked a lot how we KNOW that our program works. When a family first completes the intake process at HOME, we complete a self-sufficiency rating scale that forms the basis of our case plans. Clients are scored again at exit, and are also asked about their housing plans once they leave (unsubsidized housing, moving in with friends, purchasing a home, etc.). Only rarely do we get the opportunity to see how clients do in the long run. Today we had a surprise visit from a client who completed the program well over a year ago. When she entered the HOME program, she and her two daughters were living in a motel and she worked at a grocery store. She did not have a vehicle and walked to work, and she reported sometimes having to skip meals due to lack of resources. Today, “G” has her real estate license, is living in her own apartment, has a car, and her kids are stable. In fact, part of the reason she stopped in was to see how she could give back to HOME (she’ll be teaching a class on homebuying here sometime in the near future). I asked her, in hindsight, what was most helpful about the program. In her words: “The program was here when I was desperate and had no place to go. No place is perfect, and you have to understand that.” I asked her if she minded a blog post about her visit, and she said she didn’t. I was sort of surprised, since she’s a private person, but she replied that this was just another experience in her life and that she is proud of her growth and what she’s accomplished. Sphere: Related Content