When Carlito first heard about WayForward, he and his wife, Erin, were out of options for how they would continue to pay rent and have enough food to eat.

A temporary job Carlito was working had come to an end. Meanwhile a more permanent one he had targeted for his next step was so far not offering him full-time hours, so he worked when he could. One day, Carlito almost ran out of gas to get to work before he could afford to fill up the tank again. In the middle of this stressful run of events that followed the loss of regular income, two women he knew told him WayForward might be able to help. Carlito was skeptical. “That doesn’t exist,” he told them.

Still, the couple reached out and connected with WayForward, where a case manager worked with them to provide one-time eviction prevention funds to cover their rent and allow them to stay in their home. They also began visiting the food pantry to help fill the gaps in their budget and have appreciated choosing from a variety of proteins that they ration carefully — from chicken to chorizo to bacon. “Those are staples for our dinners for six days,” he says.

Carlito says the experience has changed his life. He’s never felt more welcomed than he does at WayForward by staff and volunteers. Rather than judgment, he feels support. “You’re sustaining us and you could care less about our race, religion, or political affiliation,” he says. “Working with WayForward was purely a lifeline. It gave me hope in humanity.”

WayForward’s Housing Stability Program is focused on eviction prevention and is full of success stories like Carlito’s. We provided financial assistance to more than 600 households last year to program participants who received one-time funds to cover rent, utility bills or unexpected auto repairs.

When you support WayForward, you join us in making it possible for more people in our community to stay in their homes and get the nutritious food they need. Your donation today can help make an immediate difference and will be used where it’s most needed.