Living on the Edge in Louisville, CO

“Your neighbor may struggling and you don’t even know it.
I want people to know it is okay to ask for help.” –Tanya

Tanya and her three children have been living on the edge since her divorce.  She has been very resourceful in adjusting her lifestyle to survive off of one income—she found a house to rent for a reasonable amount, maintained a full time management position and carefully orchestrated the delicate, however albeit precarious balance of childcare, getting kids to school, going to work and managing bills.

When unforeseen expenses came up, such as a prescription for a sick child or a car repair—and with no savings—Tanya would use her credit card.  According to Boulder County Trends a family of four living in Boulder County requires an annual income of $75,906—just to cover the basics. Tanya was not making this much.                       

Unexpectedly Tanya lost her job.  Immediately she started applying for any position she thought she would qualify for.  Tanya was already behind on a few bills but now she was behind on her rent and utilities and was uncertain about getting enough food.

She initially came to SCCC to get assistance with her past due utility bill.  Tanya met with one of our advocates and talked about why she was seeking assistance.  Tanya left that day knowing SCCC would pay her utility bill in full, she had food from our food bank to take home, emergency financial assistance with her rent and she enrolled in the Housing Stabilization Program.

“I have a renewed faith that there people out there wanting to help you.”

With an understanding landlord who was willing to be flexible with Tanya’s situation we were able to keep Tanya and her three kids in their home.  Within a month Tanya secured a job, and a few weeks later she interviewed for a higher paying position and was offered the job.

Even though she secured employment early on in the program she continued to receive financial assistance for a few more months.  With this support Tanya was able to apply her new income towards bills that were past due and late fees, complete much needed repairs on her only car and was able to build a small savings account. Tanya felt secure and poised for success.

 “I just need to get to the next level. I got the basics covered. I just need peace of mind.”

Tanya is deeply committed to attaining financial independence and moving beyond living paycheck to paycheck.  Her goals are to get a higher paying position and she intends to take finance and budgeting classes.

“I want to build a strong foundation for my future, to have enough savings
for hard times and to own a home.”

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