Being a single parent and finding yourself homeless is like falling into a well, a deep dark well," says Carolyn, a former client of ACH Child and Family Services" Families Together program.
Carolyn and her children, Emmanuel, 15, and Alexis, 13, became homeless about a year ago when a series of unfortunate events led to financial problems.
She reached out to family and friends for help. Sleeping in a two-bedroom home with 10 other people made for a very stressful living environment. "We were sleeping on a couch or on the floor and got up very early each morning to shower and be out of the house because there was no privacy," she said.
Carolyn spent hours at the library looking for work and seeking out agencies that might be able to help them. One night, at the end of her rope and running out of options, she and the children slept in a hospital waiting area and ate from the vending machines with her last couple of dollars.
The next day, Carolyn received a call that she describes as "a call from an angel." It was Jan Carter, Program Supervisor of ACH's Families Together program, letting Carolyn know that she and the kids would be able to participate in the program. The family immediately moved in.
"ACH was such a blessing to us," Carolyn says. "We were so happy to have a room of our own, a place to call home and not worry about where we were going to sleep at night. ACH was the hand that scooped us up and a powerful foundation that allowed us to get our life back."
Today Carolyn and her children live in their own home. While at ACH, she completed a program to become a certified test administrator, and now works for a local college and is working to complete her Master's degree. Emmanuel and Alexis are happy to have their own home, their own bedrooms and a yard for their dog, Race.
ACH launched the Families Together program in 2004.
"Basically, our mission is the prevention and treatment of child abuse, neglect and family separation," said Barbara Clark-Galupi, ACH's Chief Marketing Officer. "The Families Together program is designed to keep families together while they're experiencing some sort of crisis, such as homelessness and lack of resources that otherwise would separate the parent from the children."
Clark-Galupi adds that the organization's six residential programs represent the most expensive care they provide. "In all of those programs, we'll serve about 600 clients on an annual basis," she said.
Other ACH programs include foster care, adoptions, residential group care, and behavioral care for children ages 4 to 12. ACH provides the county's only emergency youth shelter for runaway, homeless and throwaway kids. "Over 3,000 children, youth and families are served by our programs each year," Clark-Galupi said. "An additional 8,000 youth receive critical safety information through our outreach and education services."
On Wednesday, Nov. 7, ACH will hold its 11th annual Hoot "n Holler event at Reata Restaurant in downtown Fort Worth. The proceeds from this event benefit the Residential Services Programs. Hoot "n Holler has raised more than $1.5 million to help children and youth who have suffered abuse, neglect and family separation.
