Teresa: A Mother Dreaming of the Future
When Houston area schools shut down in April of 2020, Teresa didn’t immediately apply for unemployment benefits to make up for her income as a substitute teacher.
“I thought they would open back up quickly,” she explained.
Her husband was disabled and without Teresa’s income, the family struggled. They lost their apartment and moved in with her daughter. When their daughter lost her apartment because she was unable to work, they moved in with Teresa's mother-in-law.
Despite the pandemic dragging on, there were moments when things started looking up for the family. In July, Teresa got a job in a new school district and started bringing in an income.
The family was relying on food stamps and food pantries to keep them fed. Teresa’s teenage daughter has been struggling with anxiety and has needed to see a psychologist.
Teresa lost her job at the school in the fall when the family car broke down.
“I lost my car and couldn’t get to work,” she said. “I don’t want to depend on the government. I want to work somewhere else.”
Her mother passed away from COVID-19 around the same time. Teresa, her husband, daughter, and several other family members are living with her mother-in-law in a two bedroom mobile home. Teresa applied for unemployment benefits in December and is hoping the money will help the family get a car so they can get back to normal life.
Teresa found out about SaverLife from a Facebook group. She didn’t have savings before joining, but the platform is motivating her to plan for her financial future.
“SaverLife showed me how to budget, and how to make sure you have a schedule and plan,” Teresa said. She has been working on planning ahead and using her checkbook to track the family’s expenses. Teresa is also dreaming of finishing her degree, a dream she has had to put on hold because of the pandemic. Her Federal Pell Grant only covered her classes, but she couldn’t afford her books in the fall semester, and so put her classes on hold.
“I hope to graduate from college and make more money,” she said. “I have eight more classes left before graduating.”