It all began in 2007, when my young family was two weeks away from being homeless…
…and I began spending hours and hours at the library with our young son, trying to figure out how we were going to survive.
I was desperately searching the Internet for anyone and anything that could help us. It was the first time I encountered words like section 8 and low income apartments. I found food banks, clothing banks, and countless agencies that served people in desperate situations just like mine. They weren’t always easy to find but they were definitely there.
We ended up getting into a low income apartment in Issaquah, Washington, within two weeks. We didn’t have any money for move-in expenses but we gathered donations and pledges from several organizations – HopeLink, Catholic Community Services, St. Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army. Together, these agencies helped us afford to move into our apartment and then helped us stock the kitchen with healthy, life-giving foods.
It was astonishing.
In the years that have followed, I have helped friends and family find help with their needs, too. Whether it’s housing, food, medical coverage, dental care, veterinary expenses, transportation or whatever else, I knew how to help them find what they needed.
Eventually, I realized that I could use my experience as a researcher and writer to help a much larger audience. That’s when the Low Income Relief network came to be.
I know what it’s like to have nothing.
I know what it’s like to be at your wits end, frustrated and overwhelmed and unsure what you’re going to do next.
And I know what it’s like to finally find help.
I’ve seen the overwhelming healing power of hope.
And I want help, hope and good things for you, too.
If you can’t find what you need on our maps, please leave a comment below and let me know. I’m happy to help!
-Nicole