“It was like someone out there was looking out for me.”
Because of you, the first day of school (and the rest of their lives) look a lot brighter for Danielle and her kids.
Today, Danielle and her kids are on a path to stability and independence.
But not long ago, Danielle was fleeing domestic violence with her four kids, being forced to live out of their car, and trying to hold her family together through it.
She wanted to keep her kids from having to worry about her adult-sized problems. She wanted the best for them. Things like three meals a day and sports teams to join and clean clothes that fit and help with their homework so that they’d be able to succeed in the classroom and in life.
She also wanted their back-to-school season to be a time for freshly sharpened colored pencils, bright white erasers, notebooks full of pages waiting to be filled, tablets ready to kickstart creativity.
But one day, sitting on the bumper of their car, all those adult-sized problems threatened to spill over, much like the trunk that was bursting from the seams. There were rainboots and sneakers for each of the four kids. A couple water bottles were rolling off the top of the pile and toothpaste tubes squeezed into crevices. There were duffle bags with their clothes neatly folded and blankets underneath for when nights in the car got cold. Tucked in everyone’s pillows were books for bedtime stories. There was a box of granola bars that she hoped she could stretch to the end of the week.
Even through it all, Danielle could still see her youngest son’s favorite stuffie peeking out from the back seat. She remembered the tears when she told him he could only bring one along when they left home in a rush.
The memory made her run her hands slowly over her face.
Looking at the already-beyond-full trunk, she wondered where she was going to fit the school supplies she needed to get for the kids in a few weeks. And that was only if she could afford them. The quick mental math said multiplying pencils and markers and notebooks and tablets times four kids… there was just no way it would work.
So she sat down on the bumper with the entirety of her family’s possessions and burdens pushing at her back, trying to break free. The kids were at a nearby park with her sister, so she gave herself just five minutes. Five minutes to just close her eyes and take a deep breath, hoping that might calm her down a little. Five minutes to cry if she needs to, because it’s all just too much lately. Five minutes to hope for some guardian angel to step in and help, even though that’s just a silly pipe dream.
When she opened her eyes, there was a woman standing before her. To this day, Danielle can’t remember what the woman looked like. But she remembers a smile. It wasn’t a smile hiding pity or discomfort.
No, it was more of a ‘I see you and I’m here to help’ smile.
“Have you heard of Volunteers of America?” the woman asked.
The woman didn’t just offer a smile and tell her it would be alright. She told her about VOA and programs that could help her get back on her feet. It was exactly what Danielle needed, when she needed it, as if a guardian angel was looking out for her.
After hearing about VOA, Danielle immediately applied to VOA’s transitional housing program. Because of donor support, she was able to have a stable place to live so she could focus on caring for her kids. She was able to have backpacks and supplies for the kids when they started school. VOA helped her kids’ lives feel normal while also easing Danielle’s financial burdens.
“It was like being given the ability to breathe when things were tight.”
No matter what a family needs, whether supplies and a place to stay like Danielle’s, or other support like food assistance and mental healthcare, VOA surrounds them with love and care thanks to community support. They have the breathing room they need to work, heal, and show up for each other. They know they have a guardian angel watching over them from the very first day of school and for every moment after.
“It was like someone out there was looking out for me.”
Danielle
Your love and kindness can be the guardian angel families need this back-to-school season! They’re facing crises and trying to hold everything together, but affording school supplies just isn’t possible. With you watching out for them, the first day of school (and the rest of their life) can be a lot brighter.
Your gift today, whether it is $25, $50, or $100, helps families get back on their feet during some of their darkest times. Your kind heart can cover school supplies, lunches, backpacks, rental assistance, or whatever else a family needs for stability during this season.
When you show up with support, real change will happen!
You can see the proof in Danielle’s own story.
* Danielle’s story comes from VOA Northern California & Northern Nevada and is shared as an example of the compassionate services VOA Ohio & Indiana provides to help families find stability and hope.