Guillermo and Denise
Smoke was still rising from Guillermo’s body when Denise got to him in the hospital. He was severely burned in a gasoline fire from yard equipment. He required four surgeries in Winston Salem. Benevolence provided necessities at home during Guillermo’s recovery, including preventing foreclosure on their house.
Ed and Kaina
When Ed and Kaina Adams became involved with the housing program they were unmarried and Kaina was pregnant. Going through the program taught them sound financial practices. They are now married, have three children and credit the housing program with enabling them to establish a foundation on which to build their lives. They remain in touch with their mentors.
Dawn
Dawn is a graduate of the housing program of Let Hope Rise. Hear her story in her own words…
Gordon
Gordon was a man broken spiritually and shattered by alcohol. When he convinced staff he was serious about recovery they helped put the pieces back together. They enrolled him in residential rehab and provided housing, bus passes, food and all the requirements of survival when he completed his program, including a car so he could get to work.
Christina
Christina needed a better command of English to keep her job at a medical office. Basic English as a Second Language classes were not sufficient for Cristina’s needs, so her ESL director provided Cristina personal tutoring for nearly a year.
Tammy
Tammy is a graduate of the Let Hope Rise Foundation housing program. Hear her story…
April
April declares the housing program through Let Hope Rise Foundation was “a life saver,” for her and her young family.
She flinched a bit during a budget training session when she realized how dramatic that might sound. Then she reaffirmed that the opportunity “to start over, to breathe for a minute,” really did save her family.
April’s family was living paycheck to paycheck, trying to satisfy ravenous bills with small morsels, until lost jobs stopped even those too-small paychecks.
Even when she and her husband had jobs, they didn’t feel secure and withheld payment from clamoring bills. They just didn’t know how to handle money, make a budget and be disciplined about keeping it.
The housing program “relieved the pressure,” she said. Besides the rent-free housing for six months, they participated in financial education, budgeting and decision making classes. A volunteer mentor was with them every step. A second six months with half of housing expenses paid helped complete the transition to independence.
“Life is going to hit,” said April, a housing program graduate who now attends the classes to encourage others. “But at least we know how to handle it better.”