Lifting a Big Weight

"When I came in and saw the kids' beds, all made up with stuffed animals on them, I just bawled," said one mom. "We were leaving a bad situation and coming here was a big weight lifted off my shoulders." 

This mom in rural Missouri enrolled in the Single Parent Family Program, a PCHAS program that helps low-income parents get back on their feet. The agency renovated its cottages, formerly group homes for youth, so that a family can have its own apartment during their stay. Two to four families live in each building and share a laundry room.

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Caren Mell, director of the Farmington Service Center, explained that the apartments are fully furnished. "We decorate the children's bedrooms so that they feel at home right away, maybe with a Spider-Man blanket or a unicorn poster, for example," she said. "When a family moves in, we stock the kitchen for them and provide laundry detergent, so the parent can immediately focus on work or school."

The Farmington Service Center offers an array of services open to children, families and individuals. In addition to free counseling, youth outreach and therapeutic mentoring, PCHAS has a program for young people leaving foster care and another that visits families in crisis in their own homes. With the recent renovations, PCHAS is able to house up to 12 families and help them with job training and life skills to become self-sufficient. 

This residential program also operates in Houston, San Antonio and Waxahachie. To apply for the Single Parent Family Program, fill out a form online.