It has been said that “Stories create community and enable us to see through the eyes of other people…” Peter Forbes.
Lakita wasn’t feeling much sense of community as she walked by herself. She was used to being self-reliant and considered herself a very independent woman, but at this point that made what she was about to do even more difficult. If it weren’t for her little three-year-old twin girls she wondered if she could bring herself to do something so out of her comfort zone.
Lakita hated that she had to ask for help, but what other option did she have? Even after moving to a lower-income apartment it was still almost more than she could afford, and she was already behind. The rent had to be paid.
The twins’ father wasn’t helping out financially like he was supposed to. In fact, she had only received one payment from him in the last eight months, and that left finances really tight. Lakita was discouraged.
If only her mother hadn’t gotten sick. She had been such a big help in caring for the twins. They had been NICU babies and continued to have health challenges, which required extra care. Now without her mom’s help to care for them, Lakita was only able to work part-time.
Everything seemed to have gone wrong all at once Lakita sighed, as she walked into the Samaritan Center to meet with a case manager.
Stephanie, the case manager, had been so kind and understanding. She had given Lakita gift certificates to the thrift store to buy clothes for her girls and referred her to Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a company that builds beds for low-income children since at this point her three-year-old twins were still sleeping with her. The Samaritan Center pledged to help Lakita pay off her rent, which gave her a tremendous sense of hope.
Asking the Samaritan Center for help, as hard as it had been, had turned out for the best. Things were starting to look up.
Lakita wanted her story to be shared because of the positive difference the Samaritan Center made in her life. Thank you for being a part of our community and allowing us to show you, through the eyes of others, the impact the Samaritan Center has been able to make.