When so much feels uncertain and unsettled, choose to be a source of stability in our community. Your support prevents eviction and provides food access.

After two difficult years that included a life-threatening health episode requiring surgery, as well as bullying at school, Felix and Veronica’s family was finally finding its footing. Both parents were working full-time, and they had moved into a new apartment and school district for a fresh start. Their children, Lily and Mia, were doing well at their new school, and the entire family found a sense of belonging in the community. For the first time in a while, things felt more stable.

Then Felix was injured in an accident. His injuries forced him to take unpaid leave — and just like that, the family went from barely making it on two incomes to not being able to cover rent. That’s when they found WayForward Resources. They were connected with a case manager who provided financial assistance to cover part of the month’s rent, helping them get through this temporary loss of income and stay in their home.

But Felix’s recovery stalled, and his unpaid leave grew longer. Veronica was stretched impossibly thin — working, caring for the kids, and managing the household. There was no way she could take on a second job. Even their teen Lily tried to pick up work to help, but her own chronic health condition made it unsustainable.

Their WayForward case manager continued to be a source of support. She helped them brainstorm ways to reduce expenses and increase income, referred them to potential resources, and explained how they worked. She also encouraged them to use the WayForward Food Pantry as often as needed, freeing up their limited budget for rent and health care.

For some families, one-time financial assistance through our Housing Stability program is enough to get through a crisis and avoid the trauma of eviction. But for others, maintaining stability is an ongoing challenge, and programs like our food pantry provide life-sustaining support by preventing hunger and enabling funds to be allocated to housing and medicine.

With WayForward experiencing the highest demand for our food and housing services in our over 45-year history, your support is needed now more than ever.

Our food pantry is seeing four times as many visits as it did four years ago, and some of our housing programs have a continuous waiting list. Wages simply are not keeping up with rising grocery and housing costs. Going forward, keeping up with the cost of living will remain challenging for Veronica and Felix’s family. But with your partnership, WayForward was there for them during a time of crisis, helping prevent the trauma of hunger and homelessness. When we work together, we can make an impact—we can ensure our neighbors have access to safe, stable housing and enough nutritious food.

Felix and Veronica’s story isn’t over — and neither is WayForward’s commitment to them.

Your support makes it possible for us to keep creating stability for families like theirs right here in our community—now, and for the future.

Join us in building a strong community where everyone has enough food to eat and a warm place to sleep. Donate today to make a difference. Thank you!

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* Representative names and photos have been used, and identifying details changed, to protect client confidentiality.