A Young Father Gets Back on His Feet
As a single parent, Kirk worked hard to provide a good life for his four-year-old son, Kirshawn. When he lost his job due to steel industry cutbacks, Kirk managed to live off his savings while he looked for a new job. But jobs were scarce and hard to come by. As the money dwindled away, he got behind in his rent and could no longer pay for childcare. That meant he was not able to go out and find work.
Soon father and son were evicted from their home and forced to find shelter in a program for the homeless. That’s where Kirk heard about Volunteers of America’s Children’s Garden, a child care center for homeless and needy families in Columbia, South Carolina.
At Children’s Garden, Kirshawn could spend the day in a secure and nurturing environment while Kirk pounded the pavement in search of a job. It gave this young father tremendous peace of mind. “Knowing my child was now safe, secure and well-cared for, I was able to focus on the things I needed to do to get back on my feet,” said Kirk.
While he and his son continued to live at the homeless shelter, the staff at Children’s Garden worked to find area resources to help the struggling family. Because Kirk was a veteran, Volunteers of America caregivers were able to put him in touch with the Veteran’s Administration to help him get into transitional housing. Today, Kirk and his son live in their own apartment. Kirk has taken carpentry classes and Kirshawn has successfully transitioned into kindergarten.Thanks to the efforts of Volunteers of America and others, this struggling family found crucial support and stability at a difficult time in their lives.