Independence Day

Tasha stared out her windshield at the plasma center. “Earn $400 in one month,” the sign said. That would be enough for gas to drive a thousand miles and still have some money left when they got down south. She could pack the trunk of her car – just the trunk – and her abusive husband would not guess that she was leaving.

An American flag above the parking lot curled in the breeze. “We could leave on the Fourth of July,” Tasha thought. “He’ll be out fishing. We could be heading down I-35 by the time he got back.” She looked over her shoulder, wincing from bruised ribs, and checked on three-year-old Adam. He slept happily in his car seat. Then, she searched on her phone for pchas.org and double-checked that the Single Parent Family Program was still in several locations in Texas.

Tasha had lived in Houston a few years earlier and knew someone who had worked with single mothers. She needed to get far away from her husband, so he couldn’t chase her down again. Somewhere familiar, like Texas, and somewhere safe, like PCHAS, fit the bill. As soon as she and Adam had a good night’s sleep in an emergency shelter, she applied for the Single Parent Family Program.

There was a spot, but the wait was two months. So Tasha and Adam ate at soup kitchens and slept in her car. At a public library, Tasha reserved one-hour computer sessions to search for jobs. She saw that the community college offered vocational courses for office assistants. “I’d need a laptop,” she said to herself, “but first we need a place to sleep.”

In mid-September, Tasha found both. She and her little boy moved into a clean, safe home on a PCHAS campus. Through the generosity of a donor, her assistance includes a laptop for Tasha’s coursework. And while she’s not yet fully independent, she will always remember the sight of that flag and her Fourth of July escape. She now knows freedom and has hope for the future.

The Single Parent Family Program empowers clients in Texas and Missouri to achieve goals and reach self-sufficiency. Call 800-888-1904 or contact us online to find a program near you.