Before being accepted into the Service Enriched Housing Program with Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches, I was doing my best to survive financially while raising my three-year-old son as a single mother. I was grateful to be able to live with family while I worked toward my master’s degree in school counseling. I balanced being a mom, completing my internship hours, and working part-time, all while trying to build a better future for my son and myself.
I graduated with a 4.0 GPA and, after several interviews, was hired as a school counselor in the fall of 2017. While I was proud and excited to begin the career I worked so hard for, I continued to face financial challenges as I had to move into my own apartment on short notice before graduating. Between bills and student loan debt, buying a home was not an option, and I found myself living paycheck to paycheck, constantly trying to make things work.
As I was preparing to renew my lease, my property manager informed me that my rent would be increasing, adding even more stress to an already difficult situation. Around that same time, I received a call from Adopt-A-Family – I had almost forgotten that I had put my name on the waiting list for the Service Enriched Housing program months earlier, after hearing about it from a friend. I was incredibly thankful for the opportunity and quickly completed all the necessary steps to be accepted into the program. The timing felt like a true blessing, as I was able to transition into the program without facing penalties from the lease increase.
This journey required a lot of perseverance, faith, and resilience. The Service Enriched Housing program has provided stability, relief, and hope, and it has made a meaningful difference in both my life and my son’s life.
Since entering the program, my life has changed in ways I truly did not think were possible. I have saved $15,000 in escrow, paid down a significant amount of debt, resumed my student loan payments, and paid off my car entirely. These milestones represent stability and hope for my family. 
In 2023, I started a new counseling position and switched my son to my new elementary school, which offered a band program. This was a beautiful turning point. He participated in the program for two years, and that experience enabled him to audition for Bak, an arts-focused middle school. He was accepted into the band program for trumpet and he loves it! Watching him thrive academically and creatively has been incredibly rewarding and affirming.
Alongside these changes, I completed extensive yoga teacher training, earning a 200-hour certification and 300-hour certification in yoga teacher training with an emphasis on social-emotional learning and trauma-informed teaching practices, for a total of 500 hours. I am eligible to register with the national Yoga Alliance and, once insured, plan to begin teaching yoga part-time – something that feels both meaningful and aligned with my personal growth. In 2025, I received the news that I was accepted into Habitat for Humanity’s homeownership program, which will enable me to reach another goal and milestone.
On a deeper level, I have grown emotionally and personally. I am more aware of my own emotions, better equipped to manage them, and more confident in my parenting. I truly cannot say enough about the support from Adopt-A-Family and now, of course, Habitat for Humanity. I am incredibly grateful, inspired, and excited for the future we are building.
