A Fresh Start

Dorothy and Jamar

After months of hardship, Dorothy and Jamar were in a desperate situation. God led them to Safe Families, and what a difference a two-week placement made in their lives! Dorothy and Jamar's story began about three years ago when she became his guardian.

In March 2010, she and Jamar moved from Chicago to Indianapolis, along with Dorothy's daughter and three grandchildren. The plan was to find work as quickly as possible and get a fresh start. But as so often happens in this economy, work was hard to come by.

Eventually, the family fell behind on utility bills, then rent. One grandson moved in with a friend, and Dorothy's daughter and her other kids returned to Chicago. Dorothy and Jamar were on their own. Dorothy sought help at several homeless shelters, but that wasn't a good solution-shelters are overcrowded in Indianapolis, and very few can accommodate children.

For a couple of weeks, the Children's Bureau took care of Jamar. When Dorothy asked them for help a second time, staff members graciously referred her to Safe Families. 

Dorothy called us at 2 p.m. one day in October, and by dinnertime, Jamar was at the home of Safe Families volunteers, Steve and Allison Hanscom.

"Safe Families was a lifesaver," says Dorothy today. "The stress of our situation was really getting to me. Everyone with Safe Families was so nice, and even though I was nervous about someone else taking care of Jamar, I felt good about my decision." 

Jamar fit right in with the Hanscoms, whose three children are four, seven, and eight years old. He stayed with them for two weeks, during which time Dorothy found an apartment, applied for assistance, and met with a jobs counselor.

For the last few weeks, she's been working for a catering company. She is hoping to begin taking more assignments soon, after her daughter moves back here from Chicago, in part to help care for Jamar. 

Thank you for your support of LYDIA, which helps make stories like this possible!