Pulled back from the edge
Four young sisters and their mom found themselves on the brink of homelessness.
Learn how FamilyAid stepped in and restored their physical, emotional and financial well-being.
For 12-year-old Ellie and her three younger sisters, a crucial referral to FamilyAid last fall has delivered a much-needed sense of stability. Along with eight-year-old Jenna, four-year-old Jazmin and two-year-old Janelle, Ellie has been able to remain in the same home, attend the same school and maintain her same friends, thus avoiding the trauma that routinely comes with homelessness and, very often, sticks with children well into adulthood.
FamilyAid, through the generous support of its donors, was able to guide Ellie, her sisters and their mother, Valerie, back from the brink, allowing the family to avoid eviction and restore their physical, emotional and financial health.
Being on the verge of homelessness came about suddenly for Ellie’s family. After her father left a few years earlier, things were finally beginning to look up for the sisters and their mother. They had been living in assisted housing in a safe, quiet neighborhood with a nearby park and playground, surrounded by caring neighbors and friends. The girls attended school and daycare, while Valerie maintained a fulltime job at a local fast-food restaurant. When special expenses, such as Ellie’s need for braces, were required, she was able to work extra overtime shifts to cover them.
However, when Valerie unexpectedly developed a debilitating health issue, which cut into her work hours, the family quickly began to fall behind on finances. She applied for state rental assistance, but the process proved to be too slow to provide the immediate help that was needed. Valerie spoke to her property management company, but it didn’t have the capacity to assist her.
When she found an eviction notice on her front door, Valerie sought guidance from Ellie’s school, which knew exactly where to turn: FamilyAid. Case manager Katherine Cappella immediately connected the family to legal aid services and lawyers were able to stop eviction. She then helped Valerie apply for Massachusetts’ Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program, and began advocating for her with the state assistance office, which provided temporary financial assistance until RAFT funds approved.
As a result of FamilyAid’s efforts, the family was able to remain in their home. Valerie is on the mend and will be returning to fulltime work soon, Katherine continues to support the family to strengthen its financial resources.
Their journey is one of FamilyAid’s success stories, and just one example of how vulnerable more than 35,000 impoverished Greater Boston families are as they navigate a perilous economic tightrope. An accident, illness, layoff, domestic violence, and skyrocketing rents are just a few factors – often completely out of a family’s control – that can trigger a devastating fall.
For more than a century, FamilyAid has been meeting the moment to help families like Ellie’s, helping them secure safe and stable homes, lives and futures.
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