Bankrate, a finance company, recently reported that nearly half of Americans do not have the funds to cover a $1,000 emergency expense. For 46% of Americans, an emergency such as injury or car repairs can plummet them into a financial situation that threatens the stability of their entire family.
Valerie, an Army veteran and single mother, had been slowly growing her savings. Alongside juggling life as a mother to a son with special needs, Valerie is also a full-time student. Just when she was beginning to feel the most confident in her studies and feeling like her finances were on track, she suffered a medical emergency.
Already stressed about the initial medical bills, Valerie knew that she needed to find childcare for her son while she recovered. She began searching for childcare but found it difficult to find availability for her special needs son. When she did finally find a caretaker with availability, she realized the combined expense of her medical bills and childcare was going to be more than her savings could withstand. Valerie reached out to several veteran serving organizations for resources before she was referred to Foundation for Women Warriors.
Upon receiving notice that she would receive childcare assistance, Valerie was overcome with emotion.
“Thank you, you have no idea what this means to us! I was so scared, for both of us, until finding your organization. I was for certain that I’d need to drop out of school. You are the reason we are going to get through this.”
Because of this assistance, Valerie has been able to continue working towards her degree, has a plan to replenish her emergency fund and has been able to make a full recovery, all with peace of mind knowing her son has safe and suitable childcare fitted to his needs.
Valerie’s situation could have looked very different. With no family in the area and childcare costs continuously rising, Valerie would have had to put her education on hold while recovering from both her injury, and the mounting financial burden that came with it. Additionally, the emotional stress this would have caused both her and son would have been tremendous to manage just in itself.
Thanks to our incredible donors, Valerie didn’t have to navigate this challenge alone. Because of you, Valerie has been able to recover and is making plans for her and her son’s future as graduation nears. This is your impact!
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