Personal Story: Chastity

As a single mom, there is nothing more stressful than not knowing how you are going to support your child and provide a "safe environment" for them. That was the situation I found myself in the fall of 2014. I became pregnant with my daughter at a young age. At that time I had no long-term goals and no idea what I was doing with my life. During my time with the Mainess family I was given a glimpse at what a family could be. They had a kindness and respect for one another that I hadn’t had much experience with. They had such a drive to be good people and place the well-being of their family above all else. They wasted no time in helping me establish both short-term and also long-term goals that could help secure a stable future for my daughter and I. They taught me life changing habits about banking and budgeting. They also helped me get signed up for classes at the local college and secure employment. 

The thing that stood out to me was that they placed such emphasis on not only planning for a financially successful future, but also one that I could use my natural skills and talents in. They showed me that I can take the things that I’m interested in and passionate about and use it towards creating a future that I can be proud of. With my daughter they helped me learn about setting healthy boundaries from a young age. To this day I rely on their mentorship and honest advice in times of difficulty. I will forever be grateful for them opening their hearts and their home to show me that when I value myself enough to make decisions that are in the best interest of my family and myself, I have the power to turn a very scary situation into an empowering path to success.