“I was just your classic story,” Sarah said. When she first enrolled in the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS) through Homes for Good, Sarah was facing tough times. She had a school-aged daughter and a two-year-old son with severe disabilities who often required medical treatment. She couldn’t work because her son needed around-the-clock care and to top it all off she felt stuck in an abusive relationship with her partner. Looking back almost eight years ago, Sarah remembers “I needed to do something!”

Sarah said she joined the Family Self-Sufficiency program because it was the only program that did not include behavior modification. “Nothing was mandated or condescending,” she said. “I didn’t have to do anything. I chose to do things." FSS provided Sarah with someone to talk to and bounce her ideas off of, someone to validate her efforts, and the encouragement she needed to improve the quality of life for herself and her children. Sarah describes FSS as the only program in her life that wasn’t coercive. “It was a reward, not a punishment."

When she first joined FSS she was on the Oregon Health Plan, receiving TANF, Food Stamps, and was a new Section 8 participant. “I couldn’t even imagine a budget that didn’t include Food Stamps!”

"But now that I have graduated from college with a degree in Sociology from the University of Oregon, have a job that I can feel proud of, and have reached the goals that my FSS Coordinator and I created when I joined the program, I’m doing pretty good now. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone who could use a little help."

“I just needed a little help, that’s all.” As a single mom with a newborn baby facing the reality of the bills that accompanied her bundle of joy, Sonya anticipated a rough road ahead. “I was just spreading myself too thin,” she shared.

“When I moved out of my parent’s house I was basically homeless for a little while. I had a rough pregnancy with my son. I just couldn’t work. So, I moved into the transitional housing program through St. Vincent de Paul. I was lucky enough to get a job at Lane County’s Head Start Program and I could basically afford to pay my few bills and get my one-month old baby into daycare. It was when I was on a temporary lay-off from Head Start that I got to move into Public Housing and enroll in the FSS program. When I went back to work at Head Start, FSS began to put money into my escrow account."

Then Sonya and her FSS worker focused their attention on putting Sonya’s life in order. They met often to establish and discuss Sonya’s goals and about how she planned to achieve them. “I didn’t have any stability or resources. I needed skills in budgeting, most of all.”

Sonya says that while growing up she never learned basic budgeting skills. Her parents had a hard time dealing with money. She wanted to do better for herself and her baby. Her goals were to one day own her own home and have a good job. The referrals and resources that FSS provided were exactly what Sonya needed.

“I learned to be accountable for my spending. I took classes through NEDCO. They helped me to think ahead about my money. I learned how to keep a ledger book of my spending and I kept all my receipts. I used the budget models that they gave me and then I changed it a little to make it fit my own needs. Now I can afford the little things like going out to lunch today. I am in control of where my money goes.”

Sonya really got to know herself through this process. Her open communication with her FSS worker enabled her to receive support and services concerning personal boundaries, establishing parenting strategies, maintaining self care and, of course, budgeting. She says she’s really impressed with how FSS focused on the whole family.

“I’ve always had high standards for myself and I’m my own worst critic.” This program helped Sonya learn about her personal limitations in the areas of employment, education, finances, and personal relationships. Her FSS worker helped her improve these areas of her life and reach the goals that she set for herself.

“Now I won’t get stuck. I’ve got the skills and confidence to get myself out of whatever comes my way. This program has really opened my eyes. It helped me to build my self-esteem. I knew that the key to my success wasn’t doing this program because I had to, or because someone else wanted me to, but because I knew it was what I needed to do to help myself.

Sonya has moved out of Public Housing, graduated from the FSS Program and found a new job that she loves. “I’m getting retirement benefits and the pay is great!” The escrow money that Sonya received upon graduation from FSS waits in a savings account until she is ready to buy her first home. When people around me share their struggles and I hear them saying that they’re not sure if they can make it, I tell them ‘yes, you can!’