On April 15th, Denise went into labor, and was diagnosed with a severe case of COVID. She and her baby were hospitalized for over a month.
Being diagnosed with, and suffering from, COVID-19 is a nightmare for any person, but for this single mother of three, the impacts were catastrophic. April 15th was Denise’s last day of work, where she had been, up to that point, paid a salary comfortable enough to support herself and her six year old and four year old. She’s lived in Trenton for 5 years and, despite her illness and a period without any means of income, she’s managed to take care of herself, her newborn, and her other two children. She was also able to use her resources to keep her budget intact until her short-term disability expired in mid-July. At that point, her doctor recommended that she not return to work, but her short-term disability extension was not approved until September, and by that point Denise was behind– months of rent and other bills piled up.
In October, Denise contacted Arm In Arm to request assistance on her back rent bill.
Through generous funding from the Princeton Area Community Foundation, and in collaboration with Housing Initiatives of Princeton, Arm In Arm’s Housing Team was able to provide $2,500 to Denise and her family.
Says Lisa Beamer, Arm In Arm Homelessness Prevention Coordinator, “When we completed our work with her this week, she had a $0 back balance and is set to pay her November rent on her own. The family continues to be stably housed, allowing this mother and her children to continue to heal and grow in the home they’ve known for many years. She expressed repeatedly her family’s gratitude for the investment Arm In Arm was able to make and the difference it made in their lives during this unexpected and challenging time.”
Now, Denise is able to spend her time and energy on recovery, and use her resources to take care of her family’s needs. Her doctor expects her to make a full recovery by December, and she will then return to work.
We are so grateful to have had a part in Denise’s story, and grateful to our generous partners for providing us with the resources to do so. In this case, and in every case, we are reminded that we are, truly,
better together.
