Jul 07

How Tutoring Impacted This Mom and Her Two Daughters

How Tutoring Impacted This Mom and Her Two Daughters

“When I saw your booth at the event I was attending for work; I had to come over and say ‘Hi’ and ‘Thank you!’ I was homeless with my two daughters in 2008 and School on Wheels was one of the first agencies that provided us with support and helped us get back on our feet.” Valerie has three teaching credentials and is now an associate with the government helping rehabilitate serious offenders back into society. She knows what it’s like to be ‘down and out’ (her words) even if her clients and boss don’t know that she used to be homeless. Valerie said that School on Wheels helped her during a very tough time. She had left her husband after he became violent because of mental illness and was ‘couch surfing’ – moving from place to place with her two young girls. School on Wheels provided them with books and school supplies, and they met their tutors weekly at a local coffee shop.

“You don’t realize how much organizations like yours change lives,” said Valerie.

“Access to resources that come around and assist families in such dire straights really helps you to keep going. Knowing that you are cared about, having one-on-one personal touch and that continuation of care, is what helped me and my girls get out of a rut and move forward. Having gone through what we did as a family and getting the help that we needed, I can’t believe we are where we are today! My youngest daughter is almost 18 and getting ready to start college in the fall, and my eldest daughter is 25 and running her own business.”