Meet Angel, a proud, hardworking, and loving mother of 6 children. As a young girl, Angel dreamed of having a large close-knit family, and she had worked very hard to make that happen. One of her family traditions was a hearty home-cooked breakfast on Sunday mornings, with lots of dancing and laughter in the kitchen. Angel gives a lot of the credit to her oldest daughter, age 16, who has helped care for the 5 younger siblings. Through many sacrifices and long days at work, Angel ensured her children were happy, healthy, had good food, and a place to call home.
Life was good for this young family and Angel’s childhood dreams were fulfilled. But the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything and turned their world upside down. Angel went from working full-time to staying home with her family and facing financial struggles. Through a lot of determination and willpower, she quickly found a new job and was quickly up for a promotion. But it still wasn’t enough. Angel’s dreams were shattered when her family lost their home because of an unexpected rent increase. The family of 7 slept in their car until they found Dawning Family Services.
Angel enrolled in our Rapid Rehousing program and worked closely with Case Managers to search and secure affordable housing. She and the children initially moved into a hotel
and soon obtained an emergency housing voucher through our efforts with the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative and the Tampa Housing Authority. Through our partnerships, Angel was finally able to secure a home for her family. Her children jumped for joy as soon as they found out they would have a place to call home.
“I am so grateful for Dawning Family Services for the caring support they gave our family. Thanks to them and the emergency housing voucher my kids will grow up in a stable and safe home.”
We are proud to report that Angel and her family are doing well in their new home. The kids are excelling and love their new home and the nearby playground. Angel’s oldest daughter was inspired by the community coming together to help her family and recently volunteered to give free haircuts and styling to local teens for their prom.
Your gifts to Dawning Family Services are truly changing lives and giving children, like Angel’s, hope for a brighter future! Thank you for making the world a better place for families in our community.
Written by Tori Calandro