Wheels to Work: Empowering Single Mothers
My name is Daisia and I am the Case Manager Supervisor at Along The Way, and with permission from one of our clients, I want to share some of our journey towards economic stability with you. Jeanette* has been diligently working on obtaining her license. After very long workdays at a very physical job, she’s arrived promptly to her driving lessons and ESL courses 2x per week. Along The Way provided 117.25 childcare hours for her to be able to attend those ESL classes in the evening each week for many months. Along The Way worked around her schedule to accommodate her, knowing that as the sole financial provider with sole custody of her children, her schedule is packed! In our time working together, Jeanette would often express gratitude to our organization, stating that without the help from Along The Way, it would have been impossible to pursue her career goals! With Along The Way showing up to support Jeanette throughout her journey, she was able to show up for herself and put in the work to accomplish specific milestones on her path towards a rewarding career where she can support her children! Case management is defined by the Commission for Case Management Certification as “Case Management is a dynamic process that assesses, plans, implements, coordinates, monitors, and evaluates to improve outcomes, experiences, and value.” At Along The Way, it’s the beating heart of what we do – the process from which all other services and programs at Along The Way and at other agencies flow.
Back to the car! – The day had finally arrived for a single mother in our program to get behind the wheel of her new vehicle, donated to her by Along The Way. This car was donated to our organization by a generous community supporter who wanted it to be given to a single mother; however, many of our clients have obstacles to car ownership (no license, inability to maintain the vehicle due to financial situation, etc) so we accepted the car, with the intention to give it to the first client who showed their readiness for car ownership because of their fortitude and follow-through to chip away at their obstacles, and that person was Jeanette.
It was a sunny Friday afternoon when I arrived at the auto tags shop. I exited out of my vehicle and walked to the front entrance. To my surprise, the door was locked—I panicked but quickly recollected myself and confirmed hours of operation. I walked around to an alternative entrance located on the opposite side of the building. This time when I tugged on the door, it opened with ease. I was greeted by a smiling face - our client’s translator, who warmly stated “You look more beautiful in person than on Zoom”, I laughed and said “Hello, How are you doing?” We spoke for about 15 minutes while we waited for our client, Jeanette, a member of the church that has been supporting and sponsoring Jeanette to get back on her feet and Sara, the Director of Programs at Along The Way.
Shortly after, all participants had arrived. They too, had tugged on the wrong door! We were called up to the front desk where we had to present all the paperwork including the original title, proof of insurance, and valid drivers licenses’. Jeanette glanced over and began walking towards me. She hugged me and in that hug alone I felt a wave of excitement. Her eyes sparkled with happiness; she’d worked really hard leading up to this moment.
The woman at the front desk reviewed the paperwork. Jeanette was nervous and wanted everything to go as smoothly as possible. The woman had pointed out a minor mis-spelling of Jeanette’s name. Our Director of Programs, Sara, the person who would be everyone’s one phone call if they were stranded on a deserted island, was quick to think on her feet! Sara rapidly pulled up the document on her phone and stated she was able to correct the error for reprint. Jeanette thanked Sara for doing this, relieved to avoid any delay in the process of transferring ownership of Jeanette’s newly gifted vehicle into her name! Jeanette remained nervous; as her case manager for many months, we’ve built a great relationship so when I reassured her that things were okay, she trusted that it would be.
After several minutes of coordinating, reviewing paperwork, and confirming accurate information, the woman at the auto tags shop had given Jeanette her new license plate. Everyone was jumping for joy–literally, jumping! She was given a temporary registration date that we were instructed to hang inside her back window.
Everyone left the lobby and went outside, straight to the car. This hard-working single mom was on the verge of tears. I handed her the keys and she was eager to show me the car keychain she had bought for herself. Coincidentally, we both had the same exact key chain! I whipped mine out and showed it to her and she said “OMG DAISIA” -- we both laughed.
Sara was diligently trying to change the license plate but soon realized we didn’t have the proper tools, so Jeanette changed it when she got back to her residence. Sara took a few photos to capture the moment. I handed the car key to the client and that was the moment when everything set in. The client looked at Sara and I, and hugged us t-i-g-h-t. I felt joy and gratefulness in my heart and was SO proud of her! Sara encouraged her to sit in the car, adjust her seat, and to take a look around at how spacious it was, and Jeanette was delighted to do so!
Sara helped Jeanette connect her bluetooth to the car. Together, we showed her where the gas tank button was located, the on/off function for the windshield wipers, and the buttons for adjustment of the driver’s seat. We showed her the console between the 2 back seats where her childrens’ drinks and snacks could be stored. We said our goodbyes again through a round of hugs with smiles glistening in the hot sun, and I watched as the client ran to the front entrance to pick up her child, and I knew this was a new beginning.
Jeanette drove alone for the first time, right behind me, in her shiny new car. As we approached the traffic light, I stared at her through my rearview mirror; I was a little nervous for her but I didn’t have a reason to be – she was doing great!! Being a witness to a client success story such as this one, is a constant reminder of why I do the work that I do. Celebrating milestones and watching my neighbors overcome significant challenges is what motivates me to continue this very hard work.
This client is the true example of “You can accomplish whatever you put your mind to.” As I worked with her, I was impressed and astonished by how dedicated she was. As I shared at the beginning of this story, as a single mother, Jeanette balanced being a full time employee at her job, nurturing mother to her children, participated in education classes twice per week, attended additional driving lessons several times throughout the week, and found time for her personal life – juggling multiple weekly appointments for herself and her children. During case management appointments, oftentimes I could see the tiredness on her face but also the eagerness in her eyes. I had faith in her! This is amazing, inspiring, motivating and encouraging! To anyone who feels like they aren’t enough, who feels like they are in a constant battle of darkness with no light in sight, I want you to read this story and re-read it again, because this can and will be you one day! When a client enters one of our programs, they are usually overwhelmed with feelings of doubt and defeat; life has been very hard for a very long time. They’ve tried, then tried again… and again to improve their circumstances —often with little to no consistent support, and every single one of us needs support to make changes in our lives. Often what makes someone a “client” of our mission (and not a donor/supporter of our mission) is not having a natural support system (i.e. reliable/close family) and lack of opportunity (i.e. educational or otherwise). Most programs offer temporary or crisis stabilization support only, meaning a situation that has often taken years or even a lifetime to develop is expected to be remedied in 1, 3 or 6 months. As an Along The Way Case Manager Supervisor, I’m allowed to do things differently; we offer long-term support to not only stabilize the crises, but to follow them over several years until single parents are fully stable, and this is how the chains of generational poverty are broken!
From my first meeting with a client, I give them words of encouragement and hope. We usually build rapport quickly, and begin a trusted helping relationship with them; I think they sense I truly have their best interests at heart. It is a great honor to witness their growth and nothing makes me happier to have been with them ‘Along The Way’!
Along The Way has walked alongside Jeannette for the last 9 months and we will continue to do so. In partnership with her sponsoring community of faith, Montgomery County through our ARPA award, and Jeanette’s income-based sliding scale co-pay, Jeanette has received 27 hours of case management and 644 total hours of child care to work to support her children and to participate in a skill-building program to bolster her chances of succeeding in a training program she wants to participate in. When we asked Jeanette to provide a quote for this blog, she said, “Thank you all so much for providing childcare and many other necessities for my family and I, including helping me to get a car. Along The Way is a wonderful organization and your help has made a huge difference in my life.”
Poem: A woman and Her Car
The sun was shining, the clouds were dancing.
She glowed as the rays bounced off of her face and wind flowed through her strands.
The excitement increased! The adrenaline pumped!
I watched her as she jumped!
The woman sat in her new shiny car with key in hand
Foot on the pedal, fingers on the wheel.
What an exciting day it was!