When Catholic Charities Fort Worth’s (CCFW) Refugee Services Department received notice that a refugee mother and her adult son needed intensive case management services to avoid being evicted from their apartment, they sprang into action.
Kamini and Kajani* are a mother and son duo who resettled to the Fort Worth area from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in July of 2022. Kamini, a single mother in her 50’s, and her adult son, Kajani, both suffer from physical disabilities that make it impossible to work. Additionally, Kajani also suffers from severe mental health issues that require constant care and attention.
When Kamini and her son first arrived at CCFW, they were in a dire predicament. Both were unable to work and had already exhausted most of their funding options and other supportive resources. With no income coming into the household, mother and son were facing eviction and the possibility of homelessness.
CCFW got to work immediately, assisting the family with applying for public benefit programs, as well as helping them navigate public housing and social security applications – all of which were successful and approved.
In the process, it quickly became clear that both mother and son needed extensive medical and psychiatric evaluations for their various health conditions. In addition to coordinating and securing referrals to MHMR of Tarrant County and the JPS Center for Behavioral Health Recovery, CCFW also provided them with transportation for all of their many appointments.
Although the family was approved for public housing, their move-in date is still pending. To ensure they don’t get evicted from their current apartment, CCFW is covering rent and utilities for the family, ensuring they stay housed and together while they wait for their unit to become available.
While care for this mother and son duo is ongoing, CCFW has already helped this family of two on their journeys to their bigger, brighter futures.
*Names changed to protect anonymity.
