Frank and Mary have each celebrated 50 birthdays. They have paved their unique path in the world through hard work and perseverance. They have paid their taxes, and they have committed their daily lives to full-time employers. They have taken pride in the bills they have paid in full and the goals they have set and accomplished. They have never had an excess of income, but they were comfortable with their life.

A turn of events changed Frank and Mary’s stability in life. Mary became ill and was out of work for three weeks. She did not have sick leave to cover the absence and she lost three weeks of income. When she was able to return to work, she worked less and consequently earned less. During her recovery and after her return to work, her health bills continued to roll in. By the time Mary had reestablished her full-time status and received a check reflecting those hours, their financial situation had become precarious. Frank and Mary had always relied on their dual income and as many families do, they paid their bills faithfully but relied on stable work hours and income to carry them paycheck-to-paycheck.

Mary’s loss of income, combined with the smaller paycheck after moving slowly back into full-time hours resulted in their inability to pay their rent. For the first time, Frank and Mary needed to ask for financial assistance. The Community Outreach provided Frank and Mary one month of rent to allow them to catch up financially. In addition, they were offered financial literacy education and a list of resources to access for additional education and support.