Nicole Jordan was a stay at home mom, looking after her daughter when her husband was laid off. She turned to the Community Action Partnership of Strafford County, “that was the first time I encountered them. And we got fuel assistance back then because we still had some savings.” It helped the Jordans bridge the gap while he looked for a new job.
The Community Action Partnership of Strafford Countyis a non-profit, non-governmental organization that helps people with basic needs while promoting self-sufficiency.
“We always thought we were doing all the things that we were supposed to,” says Jordan. “We had health insurance; we invested in our 401k; we worked on our house, making sure we had enough money in our savings account.” But a year later they were forced to seek assistance again, when her husband was again laid off. This time the Jordans dipped into their savings to cover the costs of COBRA health coverage. “so I went back to CAP and we qualified for fuel assistance, and we paid a percentage less of our electricity bill.”
But the second layoff, left them in a much different financial situation, having sapped their savings for health insurance. “We had to start all over again,” she says. But CAPSC offered many resources they were able to avail themselves of. “My daughter was referred to the HeadStart program that’s also run through CAPSC. It gave me the mornings off to find a part time job at a doctor’s office to do data entry.” Her husband enrolled in some on the job training through CAPSC and is now a maintenance coordinator.
“We’re doing much better, financially, and we actually have room to grow in both our positions. They gave us a lot of hope, there is actually a community out there that is interested in your well-being. For me personally it was a life saver.”
