Sam

Needing a place to turn, Sam trusted us with what was weighing on her: “I can see my husband losing hope, and I’m trying to keep a brave face for our kids.”

At the time, Sam and her husband had fallen three months behind on rent. Before the pandemic, her husband’s general contracting job brought in enough income for their family to get by living from paycheck to paycheck. However, once the pandemic hit, there was very little contracting work available. The payments he used to receive from jobs—which they relied on to make rent—were no longer coming in. Without them, they quickly fell behind. While their landlord was understanding at first, she was growing more and more impatient. Sam feared they’d be evicted if the moratorium were to be lifted.

With two kids depending on her and her husband, Sam started babysitting her niece four times a week to earn extra income. Still, she worried it wouldn’t be enough. 

It had long been a dream of Sam’s to provide more financial stability for her family. So much so that she was pursuing her associate degree to become a speech pathologist assistant, and was less than a year away from finishing her degree. She just needed to keep a roof over her kids’ heads until she could graduate and start her new job.

Together, all of us provided the breathing room this family needed through a direct grant that helped pay the outstanding rent.

To express her gratitude, Sam wrote to us: “I know so many are struggling right now and it is incredible to feel seen in the midst of all the struggle.”

We are honored to have helped Sam feel seen during such a difficult time. Do you want to be part of helping more families like Sam’s? Join TEAM LOVE, our incredible collective of recurring donors. By making a recurring donation of any amount that works for you, you can help more families feel seen and supported. Please consider joining us at TogetherRising.org/Give.

Thank you to TEAM LOVE, without whom Together Rising would not exist. We are so grateful for you.

Note: Sam is a pseudonym used at the grantee’s request.