Heather M.

HI Everyone,

My name is Heather M. I am a single mother of two beautiful girls. They are my driving force for everything that I do. With them cheering me on, I graduated from Columbia College in May of 2020 as a dual major. I received my AA in Child Development and Liberal Arts, as well as a certificate in customer service and my teaching permit. Even though I accomplished so much, I lost my job at the college’s child care center due to COVID-19 high levels forcing the college to close its doors for a while. Since then, I struggled to procure a job to provide for my family. I refused to give up no matter how many doors closed in my face because I have my two little girls to provide for. They look to me for the answers and to be their role model. I never want them to see me fail. I want to be their strength when things are hard. But I will be honest with you all, there was one point I wanted to give up. I just felt so lost and felt like I failed my girls. I had just recently lost a job that I really liked for reasons I still do not know to this day. But my welfare-to-work worker got me an interview at Nancy’s Hope the day after I lost my old job.  Meeting Nancy and getting to work at Nancy’s hope for almost 9 months has been the most rewarding and amazing time I have experienced.

Before working at Nancy’s hope, I was very self-conscious and shy. I didn’t really stand up for myself or cared how I looked. But since I have been working at Nancy’s, my confidence has grown exponentially. I am able to take charge more and not be afraid of what could happen. I am able to hone my customer service skills interacting with the customers more. Nancy’s Hope has changed my overall health and well-being. When I started working here, I was overweight and depressed.  But since working here, I am moving all over and I have lost a lot of weight. I am no longer as depressed as I was. I know that I have people here who care about me.  It helps when you have a team of amazing people cheering you on every day. The people here at Nancy’s Hope are not just my coworkers, they are my friends! They are my family and I have grown to rely on them for many things in my life.

Since working with Nancy and her amazing team, my faith in God has grown. I used to have a very horrible relationship with the man upstairs. I was at the point in my life that I didn’t believe in him. I thought that he wasn’t real and if he was then he has turned his back on me because why would he allow all the bad things to happen in my life…. But over the 9 months with these amazing people, I have found that I am trusting in his plans more. I am believing that everything will be fine even when things look bleak.  I know that God is with me and He is doing miracles in my life, I just have to have faith the size of a mustard seed. I believe that He will move mountains for me. I just have to believe in him. There are many moments throughout the day that I pause to say “Thank you God for everything you have done for me”.

Nancy’s Hope is a lighthouse. It is the lighthouse guiding lost ships to a safe place. It was my lighthouse in a storm of my life. Nancy’s hope is a beacon of hope to everyone in this community. I am proud to be a part of this amazing family. I feel that working here has been the best thing to happen in my life since becoming a mother. To be honest, I strongly believe now that God led me to Nancy’s Hope. I was led here not only to help myself, but to help Nancy and everyone who walks through our doors. Since working here, I feel I have helped Nancy’s so much by taking over the phone calls and running the front of the store. She is able to get so much done. I am able to help her with many of her projects she has planned. I feel that I am helping Nancy’s Hope grown and I have grown professionally just by being here. Before Nancy’s Hope, I felt like I was nothing but a zero. But now I am a hero and I am so blessed. I can finally say that I found a job that I can finally call home. Each and every morning I am excited to go to work. I am beyond happy to help others. I just want to say Thank you to everyone who is helping make Nancy’s Hope is my forever home. I want to say Thank you to my Nancy’s Hope Family, you have changed my life in many ways. Saying thank you will never be enough for what you all have done for me. You have blessed me in more ways than one. I love you all.