Overcoming Crisis to Achieve Stability
Jasmine and her children’s story is one of strength and dedication.
In 2017, Jasmine was an expecting mother with two young children, living out of her car and struggling to make ends meet. Without a permanent home, Jasmine made the tough but necessary decision to move her two older children to North Carolina to live with their grandmother. Rather than feel defeated by this, Jasmine resolved to work with HABcore, a Pascale Sykes Foundation grantee, to help ensure her children’s return.
HABcore is a nonprofit agency dedicated to providing permanent housing and individualized support to low-income families, veterans, and individuals with special needs who have experienced homelessness. Part of HABcore’s mission is to help set goals to move families with children from crisis to stability. HABcore paired Jasmine with Stephanie, a Case Manager in HABcore’s Family Strengthening Initiative. The two collaborated on a plan to get Jasmine back on her feet, including finding a permanent place to live, a stable job to cover her living expenses, and setting financial goals.
The Strengthening Families Initiative uses the Whole Family Approach to support families with finding a permanent home and provides the tools for maintaining that home. The program encourages a healthy lifestyle for both caregivers and children and aligns objectives focused on improving children’s academic success and bolstering the family’s financial position. Recognizing that family members’ challenges and successes are interdependent, the Whole Family Approach addresses goals collectively to improve the entire family unit’s well-being.
HABcore helped Jasmine secure a safe and affordable home – her first step toward family reunification and financial independence. Once settled, Stephanie helped Jasmine find work as a Certified Nurses Aid (CNA) to establish a steady income. Finally, Stephanie encouraged Jasmine to enroll part-time in a Licensed Practical Nursing program to build her resume and set the foundation for her career. By connecting Jasmine to the right resources, Jasmine achieved her goals of becoming financially independent, making significant progress toward paying down her debt, and establishing a home of her own to raise her family.
“Truly, if it wasn’t for HABcore, my babies still wouldn’t be with me,” Jasmine said. “It is because of this program that we are all together under one roof, and that is what I am thankful for the most. I can’t thank them enough.”
Two years later, Jasmine continues working as a CNA while excelling in her Licensed Practical Nursing Program. She’s found a stable partner to help raise her family, and her oldest daughter is thriving in her school’s Gifted and Talented program. Upon graduation from her nursing program, Jasmine plans to continue her education to become a Registered Nurse and is working toward a promotion.
