Thinking about Help Me Grow Florida brings tears to my eyes. I was in a very dark place when I first called 2-1-1 for help. I was homeless and about to have a baby. When I spoke to the HMGF Care Coordinator, she immediately started trying to identify resources that might be able to assist me. After we talked, I felt encouraged to find work and reach out to my family. The Care Coordinator became like a life coach, always checking on me to see how I was faring. When my daughter was born prematurely at 24 weeks and weighing only one pound, my depression was at its worst. I was terrified that my baby, Isabella (Izzie) wasn’t going to make it and I blamed myself. The Care Coordinator was like an angel, always calling at times when I just wanted to run away. She assured me that when Izzie came home from the hospital she would do everything she could to assist us. And she did. She found a medical day care so I could continue to work. She referred Izzie to Early Steps for physical therapy. When I had a setback and couldn’t afford diapers she referred me to an agency that provided them. HMGF never treated me like a “nobody” who was just asking for handouts. I was treated like a woman whose circumstances weren’t the best but who was still trying. I was educated, listened to, and empowered. Often, agencies focus on children and the mothers are forgotten, but that was not the case with HMGF. Life isn’t easy, but with HMGF I know there’s always someone who has my back.
