Our Successes

'My Life Is Good'

Mary Beth Lopez needed help. She had no income, no place to live, and no way to provide for her family’s most basic needs.

 She and her daughter were living at the People’s City Mission, but she needed and wanted a safe, permanent home for her family. Mary Beth learned about and applied to Lincoln Action Program’s Supportive Housing Program. Within two months, she was accepted into the program.  

 Mary Beth was assigned a case manager through the program, and with her help, Mary Beth found a two-bedroom apartment and landed a living wage job. Mary Beth also became involved in other programs at Lincoln Action Program, including the Early Head Start and Residential Energy Assistance Challenge (REACH) programs. She used the agency’s landlord-tenant services to communicate and solve problems with her landlord. 

 At the urging of her case worker, Mary Beth applied to Southeast Community College. She received a full scholarship and is currently studying to be a teacher. She is now able to successfully balance work, school, and parenting her young daughter.

 Mary Beth is on-track to graduate from the Supportive Housing Program this month and is one step closer to achieving her goal of self-sufficiency, something she says she wouldn’t have been able to do without the help of Lincoln Action Program.

 “Because of the help of Supportive Housing, Head Start, and the other great programs at Lincoln Action Program, my life is good,” Mary Beth said.

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'Back on Track'

Before Walter became a client of the Payee Program at Lincoln Action Program, he rarely had enough money to pay his bills, and he was struggling with drug/alcohol addiction.

 Walter was receiving Social Security disability payments, but most of it went to alcohol and drugs.  As a result, he was behind on his rent and had received a shut off notice from the electric company. Because of poor choices, at the end of the month he never even had enough money for food let alone bills.

 Upon entering the Payee Program, Walter and his case worker worked out a payment plan with his landlord to get caught up on his rent and helped him get energy assistance for his delinquent electric bills.  The Payee Program staff encouraged Walter to participate in a drug treatment program, helped him find a more safe and affordable apartment and assisted him in applying for food stamps.

 Walter was in urgent need of budgeting skills and overall financial literacy.  With the help of program staff, Walter enrolled in classes at Lincoln Action Program and went from spending his weekly money allowance at the start of every week to receiving two payments a month. He was even able to start saving money for holiday purchases. 

 Walter is now clean and sober and has a part-time job. He actively participates in his monthly budget planning.  Because of the Payee Program, Walter’s life is back on track. He has become more financially secure and now has the skills to keep working toward and achieving economic independence.

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'Building a Brighter Future'

All within the month of December Julia’s husband was sent to jail, Child Protective Services removed her children from the home due to unsanitary conditions, and to add more stress, she had another child on the way. 

 With her part-time job as the sole income, Julia was unable to pay for rent, which led to homelessness and unemployment. In January, while living in a temporary homeless shelter, Julia applied for the Homeless Voucher Program.  She was approved in March, and by April, program staff had helped Julia move into permanent housing large enough for her and her children. 

 With Lincoln Action Program’s help, Julia began to work on rebuilding a future for her family by completing her GED, life skills classes, and parenting classes. She also began to work with Early Head Start in anticipation of the new baby. Julia started a part-time job, worked hard, and maintained visits with her children.

 Her hard work paid off when her children were returned to her home. Julia juggles medical appointments for herself and her children and is seeing a counselor for her and the children. She has been proactive in improving her parenting skills and creating a safe, clean home environment for her children. As Julia constantly struggles with making her dollars stretch to the end of the month, she uses the skills she has learned through classes and support from Lincoln Action Program. One day at a time she works to build a brighter future for her and her family.