Isabel is a single mother working her way through a challenging and sometimes contentious divorce which has taken its toll on her and her children. In addition, her job as a cleaner only provides part time hours, limiting Isabel’s ability to provide stability for her children.

For parents in situations like Isabel’s, challenges in the form of house repairs or appliance breakdowns can cause outsized impact to their ability to provide for their children. For Isabel this came this holiday season when she came home to find her refrigerator broken and all the food inside spoiled. The cost of replacing the lost food made any chance at replacing the fridge impossible. She attempted a few days without a refrigerator before deciding to reach out for help.

Our hardship grant program is designed in part to help people in a difficult situation find their way back to stability. A hardship grant was provided to get Isabel a new refrigerator. Without it, her situation would have become significantly more stressful, especially during the holidays. Now she can focus her energy on the challenges that lay ahead.