We needed to leave our home because it had become dangerous for me and my children. I packed up most of our belongings, moved into a cabin at a campground, and started the application process with Family Promise of Southern New Hampshire (FPSNH).

I did not want to bring my children to a shelter, and the cabin we were staying in would be shut down for the winter. Without FPSNH, we probably would have tried to sleep in our car or stay in hotels when we could afford it. I may have lost my children due to an unstable living environment.

We waited three months for a room at FPSNH.

When we were finally able to move in, I didn’t have a job with a steady income. About a month later, the director of my daughter’s daycare reached out about a job opening I had previously inquired about and offered me a position as a preschool teacher. I have worked there ever since, and I couldn’t ask for a better situation for my family. My son attends school across the street, and my daughter is in the classroom across the hall. I receive a significant childcare discount, good pay, and I travel to and from work with my children every day.

The single greatest habit I learned at FPSNH was how to properly budget my money. I have loved learning where my money goes each month and watching my savings grow and that is what will keep me committed to this practice.

Family Promise of Southern New Hampshire gave me the chance for a fresh start, for me and my children, in a financially stable position, providing the opportunity to purchase a home on my own. I would never have gotten here without them. They provided a safe, stable, family-oriented environment for my children during our time experiencing homelessness, and offered opportunities and resources to grow and learn on both a personal and financial level.