Water is what drove Sonya and her two children out of their home.
When their house was flooded by a city water main break, Sonya immediately reached out to the local authorities for assistance but was frustrated by the lack of response. Unable to stay in their home, the family lived in transitional housing at first, then in hotel rooms, and all the while the city failed to resolve the situation. Sonya worked part-time as a home health aide but was eventually unable to afford their temporary housing, which is when she found Family Promise of Davie County, North Carolina. Around that same time, she learned her house had been condemned.
Family Promise connected with a local housing agency to find the family a new home and assisted with utility payments to facilitate the move. They also identified an attorney who agreed to take Sonya’s case pro bono to seek restitution for her property damage.
The disaster took place right before Christmas, and Family Promise did everything in its power to ensure the family celebrated the holidays in their own home, helping with Christmas gifts, clothing, and even loading and unloading boxes and furniture during the move. A new neighborhood meant new schools for the children, and Family Promise helped Sonya with the transition, including coordinating transportation with the school district. Family Promise also arranged after-school care for the kids so Sonya could increase her work hours and income, and they helped Sonya create a budget to maximize her new earnings.
The family is grateful to Family Promise for keeping them together – and dry! – during the holidays.
“With the support of Family Promise, I was able to keep my job, find housing, and establish a savings account for future needs,” says Sonya. “This was the greatest happiness during our time of homelessness.”
On October 25, Family Promise will hosts it’s first National Giving Day. Community members are invited to offer support and hope to local families. For more information and to make a donation visit fpgives.org.
