When I first got to HopeNet I was really down. I was the only one in my household of 9 that was working and paying bills. I stopped paying because no one else paid or cared and I was tired of it. But the bills were in my name, so it was affecting my life. I decided to get my financials in order. Now I have a plan and support. I wasn’t setting boundaries before. Now my assertiveness has changed. I have emotional, social and spiritual resources.
I decided to go to Getting Ahead because I desperately wanted to get out of poverty. HopeNet helped me most by educating me on the hidden rules of poverty and how to interact with the middle class. A meaningful exercise was a self-assessment we did of our resources. It let me know what my strengths and weaknesses were. I realized there were some other things I could build upon, like my physical health. Getting Ahead is a great support group. I learned how to stay out of debt. And, I’m going to get some help losing weight to help me feel better.
The Getting Ahead helped me see my accomplishments as well as set better boundaries. I was raped as a teenager which resulted in bad choices. Now I am dedicated to raising my children well. My outlook and goals have changed.
HopeNet taught me to think before reacting. I learned to work through my problems.
I wanted to get out of poverty. The class helped me look at finances. Hearing other people’s stories of how they took what we were learning was encouraging. I have more skills and knowledge than I did before.
I saw strengths and weaknesses in myself through the Getting Ahead Workshop. I am motivated which surprised me! I am thinking I can do it. I see steps I can take. The Timeline we did helped me and I wrote out “smart goals” for myself. I wrote things out at home in a journal to do next.
I needed to try something different. My HopeNet Coach encouraged me to take the Getting Ahead Workshop. I would have dropped out if she hadn’t encouraged me. Coaching helped me stay with it. I’m not a mess anymore.
