Watch Penelope's video

Overview

I was recently laid off after working as a Certified Nursing Assistant. I live in Detroit with my family, and loved the work I did even though it was stressful for some people. I have three beautiful and intelligent children ages 7-18, and am happiest when my children are all together laughing, talking, eating and having family time. Something interesting about me is that I graduated from high school with a 6 month old son. I also set a goal to have at least one degree before my oldest son graduated from high school and succeeded! I have an Associates Degree of Applied Science. I also am a homeowner and own my own vehicle. As a result, I am most proud of all my accomplishments as a single mother.

My goal is to enroll back in school and take classes that will allow me to advance my career in the nursing field. The type of work I used to do before I was laid off, required me to travel locally...at least 15-20 miles out. If I am to get a new job it will probably be similar to what I used to do, until I can get back to school, so I will be required to have a reliable car. I love the work I do even though it is stressful to some people. With a reliable vehicle I'd be able to provide for my family, look for a new job as a nurse and enroll in school once I get back on a regular schedule. Most importantly, meeting this need will help me because I will be able to ensure my son who has a mental illness gets to his appointments when needed and on-time.

I need my car repaired so I can get my children to school and to required appointments on time.

I was homeless but with the help of Black Family Development was able to secure a nice home last year. My current situation is my son has a medical condition that requires him to be taken for treatment often but my car is not working due to the electronic control module being broken. As a result, my son misses some of his appointments because we don't get to them on-time or we can't get to them at all. Getting my children back and forth to the bus stop in the morning for school is also difficult. I don't like asking for handouts, but I'm not opposed to asking for help if it means allowing me to meet the needs of my children and is able to make a huge impact on my current situation.

Watch Paula's video

Validated

Validated by Paula from Black Family Development (What does this mean?)

I met Penelope when she was assigned to my case load several months ago. She is very determined to become self sufficient, sets goals for herself and works hard to achieve them. The next goal she set is to get her car fixed, which is why she is posting to this site.

I think meeting this need is important because it will allow her to get her son to his treatments as well as ensure her children get to school safely. It will also ease her transportation woes in searching for employment and getting to and around town.

About Paula

I am a Case Manager at Black Family Develompent. I am responsible for linking clients with resources in the community through the Promise Neighborhoods Program. Promise Neighborhoods' vision is ensure that all children in the Detroit Clark Park/Osborn Neighborhoods have access to excellent… Read more