Supportive Housing 2018

In the summer of 2017, Sophia was 21 years old and a single mother to her two week old daughter. She had recently been employed at Dunkin Donuts and was struggling to get back on her feet and be able to provide for her daughter. Sophia was also enrolled at Lakeland Community College full time hoping to pursue a career in radiology.

She had learned about the Supportive Housing Program at Lifeline from a friend who was also a single mother and working hard to make ends meet.

“My friend told me how helpful the program had been to her and she knew that I truly wanted to be successful for my newborn daughter and myself,” said Sophia.

The Supportive Housing Program provides both rental assistance and case management support to Lake County adults who are enrolled in an accredited educational institution. Sophia met with Lifeline Program Coordinator Angela Wrana to apply for the program and was immediately enrolled.

“After meeting with Sophia and discussing both her personal and educational goals, I could tell how dedicated she was to providing a good life for her daughter, “said Angela.

With the financial assistance and case management support from the Supportive Housing Program, Sophia was able to rent a 2 bedroom apartment and provide a safe home for her and her baby. She has also been able to focus on school and has begun to establish a career for herself.

“Prior to the program, I felt totally lost and so behind that I wasn’t sure how I was ever going to get ahead. I always had a vision of myself being an amazing mother to my daughter and creating a good successful life for us. I was so motivated but I did not know how that was going to unfold since I could barely pay my bills,” said Sophia.

Sophia has worked closely with Angela for case management services.

“Having the regular meetings with Angela are very important to me because we go over my goals and come up with solutions to any problems that I may be facing. We also complete budget worksheets for each month so that I can visually see my income and expenses so that I am aware of my spending habits,” said Sophia.

In addition to her meetings with Angela, Sophia has also completed Financial Literacy courses at Lifeline that provide additional education on credit repair and saving.

In the past year, Sophia has made great strides both academically and professionally. Sophia has decided to change her major from Radiology to Business and HR Management. She is also employed full time and is being trained for a management position with American Family Insurance. Her daughter is also thriving and has just learned how to walk!

“I am truly impressed with all of the progress that Sophia has made in this program,” said Angela. “She has achieved not only the educational goals that she had set for herself, but also her personal goals. She should be proud of her amazing accomplishments.”

Sophia will be completing the Supportive Housing Program in December. She plans to continue to excel at her current place of employment and utilize the financial and educational skills that she has learned from Lifeline.

“Since participating in the program, I feel that I am a lot more organized as an individual in both my work and personal life, more responsible with my spending and saving, and have more confidence in myself to provide a successful life for my daughter and I,” said Sophia. “The employees at Lifeline have been so caring, understanding and helpful to me along the way.”