Katherine has been on a roller coaster ride for the last four years. Not having a permanent place to call home, she carried all of her possessions in bags, moving from a tent on the river to her father’s home when he would allow her to stay, sleeping in friends’ cars, couch surfing, and then moving to her boyfriend’s home when she discovered she was pregnant with her second son. She had given her first son up for adoption – she was only 15 when he was born.

After the birth of her second son, Ethan, Katherine’s boyfriend’s parent’s insisted that she and the baby stay with them, but things continued to be tenuous for Katherine. A fight with Ethan’s father began another downward spiral, as she moved out of the house, jumping from place to place and using drugs. Katherine admits” I was probably the worst mother in the world,” during this time.

After a month, Katherine made amends with her boyfriend and she and Ethan moved back into his parents’ home. Things began to turn around, Katherine was matched with a mentor and began really moving forward. Now Katherine is thriving. In February of this year Katherine, Ethan, and her boyfriend moved as a family into an apartment of their own. Katherine also returned to school. She chose an alternative school that can provide day care for Ethan. She will graduate in January. She recognizes the importance of her education, stating that, “Ethan will have a much better chance of graduating if both his parents have graduated. My whole life revolves around making a better life for my son.”

As always, there are challenges. During the summer, while school was out, Katherine worked two jobs to support herself and provide for Ethan. One job was at a day care center that let her bring Ethan for free. Once school started in August she had to leave the day care job, keeping just her second job at Subway, and is now having a hard time making ends meet. Katherine has no reliable transportation which makes it difficult to manage her busy schedule, getting to and from school, work and appointments and makes it a challenge to get Ethan safely from place to place. Having a reliable car would open doors for Katherine to be able to budget her time better and perhaps earn more income, as well as provide safe transport for Ethan, and piece of mind for Katherine, knowing Ethan is safely buckled in to a car seat properly set for his size and weight.

If you have a reliable used car you’ve been thinking of donating, you could help Katherine as she continues to make progress toward her goals of a better, more stable life for her and her son, please give Joyce a call at 970-472-4293.