“My father was in in the penitentiary until
I graduated high school at 17. My mom raised me and my four big brothers. It was a pretty rough upbringing, because I was her only daughter. She had four big boys. She didn’t know how to raise a daughter. I learned from her mistakes, I guess. And now I have two girls
to fend for. Them not knowing what I’m going through is what kept me going. Cause, I couldn’t cry or show them emotion. I couldn’t do
anything, but keep going. I knew I just couldn’t give up. They’re my hearts. I couldn’t get my kids to and from school like I needed to. I was working at the nursing facility at the time, so I didn’t have transportation. So I had to rely on other people. That never worked. It hasn’t worked all my life. So I lost my job and then when COVID came, I couldn’t really find a job. I was out of work for probably six months. When I lost my job, I was about to lose my childcare. I felt like I was losing everything. I asked, “What’s wrong with me? Why do I deserve this? Why do I have to go through this?” And that’s when Padua was brought to my attention.
CREDIT SCORE
One of my goals that we set was improving my credit score. It was pretty bad when I started. I didn’t know much about credit. Since then, it has jumped up about 120 points, which is big to me because that’s something that I never focused on. If it wasn’t for that goal being set to get my credit score up, I wouldn’t have been able to have the opportunity to get a credit card.
HOUSING
I didn’t want to be in the home I was in. It was a pretty bad environment. I would go outside and sometimes hear gunshots. My kids really couldn’t go outside and play. There wasn’t a park over there and they wouldn’t come fix anything.
Padua helped me find a home and paid my rent a couple of times to help me be able to save. I probably saved almost $10,000 in a year. It lasted a long time because I was adding my paycheck on top of what I already saved. And I’ve never in my life been able to do that, like never. This is the nicest place I’ve ever lived in my life. And it’s mine. And everything in it is
mine. And that’s huge to me.
When I graduated, they said “Hey, you’re going to see your new apartment. So we’re going to graduate you and purchase you a washer and dryer so that you can have that in home. That’s one more goal to mark off your list.” And that was the the best blessing I could receive in my life.
Our Game Changers donated a washer and dryer so that Jasmine would be able to do laundry in her new home, allowing her to spend more time with her girls.
Who Are Game Changers?
Game Changers are groups, businesses, or individuals who provide specific emergency financial assistance to help meet the immediate needs of our clients. They make a tangible difference in the life of someone in poverty by removing a barrier keeping them from their bigger, brighter future.
