It was going to be a stressful day. Walk-ins galore and disappointed people would be frustrated. The shift only has two active interviewers right now and one of them is new. So when a client looking for rental assistance came in, I decided to interview her myself. We went into a room and I started asking her the appropriate questions about her financial situation. Some answers were familiar, but some were unusual and exciting.
She is a full time student at Brookhaven. When she lost her last “low pay” job last spring, prayers led her to decide to try and end the trail of “dead-end” jobs and take a leap of faith to pursue a college education. Though each month has been a struggle, somehow, thus far, some unexpected help has gotten her through. She got a work study job- it pays $194 a month! But September she thought she was finished. She owed over $1100 on back rent, eviction and late fees. Her student loan money was late- still days til it would come. The apartment said “all the money must be paid by October 1st, or the eviction would go to court”. NETWORK was her last hope and she knew we had limited funds.
I listened and took notes. Before I could make any decisions, I needed to talk to the apartment manager. Her little boy needed to go to school. I told her “why don’t you take him to school, come back and we’ll have more time to look into this”. She had $700 she could pay right now. But we can’t pay fees and fines- that is a very firm rule at NETWORK. The client was able t oget her manager on her cell phone and we conversed. I allowed that I might coax some extra money from the “command structure”, but it couldn’t go to late fees. The apartment manager suggested that some of the client’s money could go to the fees and all of ours would go for rent. “OF COURSE, why didn’t I think of that??!!!” So off I go to see if I can get an extra $173.25 to help this wonderful lady.
That part was easy. Both the Emergency Services Director and the CEO said “yes”. This is the kind of client we love to help. I went back to the interview room to tell her the good news. Up to now she had been calm, poised and stoic. Now she started to cry. I leaned across the table and took her clasped hands in mine, held tight, and waited for the tears to stop (while blinking back a few of my own).
BUT, we still had hurdles to jump. Because of eviction pending, the apartment had to have the ENTIRE AMOUNT in hand today. If we missed the last day of September, she would have to pay all of October rent also- Immediately. And today is the last day of September! The accountant had left for an appointment, the checks were locked up, and no one could get into the office to actually write the check. Then, the accountant returned and the CEO signed the check. It must be there today. That’s easy- I’ll deliver it on my way home. She had already turned in her share, so she was home free. She won’t have trouble for the rest of the year with her student loan money.
As the client was crying her tears of joy and relief, she kept repeating that she had thought this roadblock was the final one and maybe she should just quit. But she kept praying. It was in God’s hands if she was to continue her education. Today, God worked through NETWORK-and through me. What an exhilarating and humbling experience that is!