Farmers Feeding Families RFP
We seek to identify community programs and services that increase access to food and combat food insecurity in Shelby County. Our goal is to ensure that individuals are able to live healthy lives free from hunger and its associated health issues and move more freely toward self-sufficiency with this barrier removed.
Friday’s Family
Halima and her children have been long-time participants at the Americana Community Center. Halima is a single parent of three with very limited English-language skills, while also struggling with the burdens of chronic poverty and housing insecurity. For many years the family has survived through the support of government-subsidized disability benefits.
Halima and her daughter Fatuma are participants in the Metro United Way Family & Youth Coaching Program. They both work weekly with a family coach to address looming financial issues in their lives. Halima began her work with the family coach as someone who was unemployed and who struggled to pay her bills (water, rent, etc.) on time because of her limited English and a lack of understanding of social and financial systems in the U.S. Fatuma is currently a high school senior who struggles with reading. Halima has set a goal to work steadily, provide for her family, and to become college educated.
Halima regularly meets with a coach to address issues related to bill payments. Halima and the coach have applied for affordable housing and are now on the waiting list to be selected. Through the support of the coaching program she has also found full-time employment.
Fatuma was also able to procure seasonal employment with the support of the coach through the Mayor’s SummerWorks Program. Fatuma was also able to reconnect with her former English Teacher with the help of her coach and the Americana Mentorship Program. They now meet weekly at the center to work on her goals to improve her literacy.
In our work with Halima, she has achieved employment and is working towards better housing, which will help her be more self-sufficient. As Halima and the Family Coach navigate the systems of bill payment, she is gaining skills and will soon be able to manage on her own moving forward. Fatuma has already shown large improvements in her literacy through her mentorship. Her goal is to soon be able to read and complete college level work so she can pursue a college degree.
With your donation, you can help other families just like Halima and Fatuma. Please donate today.