SOME OF OUR STORIES
We started helping single mom families in 2016. We have learned a lot in a short time! We have expanded our time with each single mom and sharpened our coaching skills to more effectively bless these families.
THE NEED IS GREAT! We would like to expand the ministry to include more single-moms in crisis.
JENNIE
Our first single mom Jennie had a five-year old son. She was raised in deep poverty in Hays County (unpaved road). Her family had moved away, leaving her without home or local support. She struggled to envision a life different than the one she knew.
She entered our program and found work and saved money. She loved her son dearly; her parenting skills and consistency were lacking. Our team member coach gave her feedback and tried to model calm and consistent parenting. We learned a lot from having her as our first client and were blessed that she improved her life.
ALICE
Alice is a college-educated woman with three children who had escaped a horrible situation where a father abused one of the daughters. Alice was living with a friend who had a crowded house with kids herself, so Alice and her kids slept in her broken-down car.
We bought her a car and paid for a year of car insurance which enabled her to get a job delivering pizza. It also allowed her to keep up with court appearances related to the abuse. We also paid utility bills for the friend partially housing Alice’s family.
One of our team members was able to support Alice emotionally, encouraging her to further her education. Alice responded quickly and began to thrive, eventually able to obtain a better job and housing.
DENISE
Denise grew up in foster homes and struggled to make her way as an adult. She had been renting a room from an older couple for her and her two young children but was asked to leave when they discovered that she was pregnant. One of our team members picked Denise and her kids up from a street corner where she had all her possessions in trash bags.
She and her kids were provided with temporary housing while R&R assisted in getting them into a duplex. Furnishings and household items were donated, and Denise and the children moved into the only home they had known. We bought Denise a car and helped her renew her license so that she could begin to work. Her coaches worked with her on budgeting, job skills and envisioning a career path.
Denise worked hard—sometimes two jobs at a time. We were able to see her transition from homelessness to her being able to keep her family in a decent apartment.
MARIAH
Mariah was a single mom with a 1-year-old baby. She had a job but her car completely quit on her so she was not able to work. Her car was beyond reasonable repair. She contacted us and we were able to get her a used car so that she could stay on track and avoid losing her apartment.
RACHEL
Rachel grew up in an abusive house-hold and with a mentally-ill mom. She ended up in foster care at various times in her life and experienced abuse there as well. Rachel was a hard worker. But relationships were hard. She lost her common-law husband to complications of major surgery and ended up with two kids and a third on the way. We helped her to get into transitional housing in San Marcos until it closed. She became hard to coach and help. We did not know about an underlying mental illness that made life and relationships hard. We finally had to part ways because she couldn’t abide by our policies. She ended up on the streets of Austin pregnant. She lost her car and custody of her two kids. We finally got in touch with her through a family member who she could live with for a time, and got her to see mental health services in Austin and get on medication. She gave birth to her son. On medication she stabilized. We helped her get her own apartment in San Marcos and helped her with life and parenting coaching. She worked hard and worked overtime with the assistance of her deceased husband’s family providing child care for the baby. She was finally able to be financially independent due to her hard work and our coaching. We assisted with car repairs to keep her employed and with encouragement when needed.
MARY
Mary was in a relationship with a man in a small town in the Hill Country. She was pregnant when he had an affair and kicked her out of his family’s property. She came to Austin to find work, and despite not yet having a GED she found office work that barely supported her and her baby in an efficiency apartment. She had to work an extra job. She aspired to a career field that would require a GED and college. She entered our program and we were able to help her plan and save to have a margin in her finances to allow her to finish her GED and begin college classes at night—working only one job. We also helped her to re-finance her car for a much lower interest rate. (Her lack of credit got her into a high interest rate.) Members of one of our churches contributed toward her putting down more money. She is in the first year of our program and is thriving with the love and encouragement of her coaches.
KAY
Kay grew up poor in a single-mom family that barely subsisted. She did well in high school and worked hard at various jobs. She got into two long-term relationships over 11 years that produced five children. She ended both relationships due to abuse of her and of the kids. She spent a year in a women’s shelter, pregnant with her fifth child. With the shelter’s help she got into an apartment, but due to severe complications of the pregnancy and the frequent doctor’s visits she had to make, she lost her job and was behind on her rent and other bills when she entered our program. Her vehicle was beyond repair and ditched so we donated a used mini-van so she could get to doctor’s appointments. With our rental stiped and other help with bills she was able to complete the pregnancy and give birth to her daughter. Shortly after that she landed a job working customer service from home. She is in her first year in our program and her coaches are meeting with her regularly to go over finances and life-planning. We have church members who are helping to spend some time with her boys since she works long-hours on the phone. We assisted with her catching up on bills and with food. She is doing well at her job, despite having young kids at home while she works (and all of them home during the summer while she works!) She has a positive attitude. Her intelligence is a key reason she is making a come-back in life. She’s not interested in any more relationships at this time as she knows she has to focus on her children. (Restore & Rebuild does not allow women in the program to have a man living with them, or a woman—if it is a romantic relationship. They have to focus on their children and their financial recovery and success.)
AMBER
Amber has two children and was a stay-at-home mom for a decade until her husband had an affair and kicked her out of his house. She struggled emotionally and financially. The husband fought her for custody of the children, but as is often the case, with more money, he had more success with lawyers fighting for him. She and the kids lived with her parents home until she was made to move out due to lack of space and the landlord’s policy. She had to use workers comp for an injury on the job but is now working again. She is in the first year of our program and we have helped her to get into a small rental house in Hays county so that she can keep the kids with her. Her coaches have lovingly guided her and pulled her up in dark moments of despair. We have helped with bills so that she can catch up and gain some financial margin for the future.