Kim’s Dream
When Kim moved her family to Nashville, Tennessee, it was in the hope of finding two things: new opportunities and a strong community where she could raise her kids. Although she’s found some success, there have also been challenges.
It’s expensive to live in Nashville. As a single mom, Kim has sometimes struggled to balance work with her home life, between paying for what her family needs and what her children want.
“Being a single mom is very, very difficult,” Kim told us. “Sometimes children don’t understand that we have to sacrifice, like, ‘Okay, baby, I have to go to work. I need to put some gas in the car. I might not be able to get that meal from the store that you wanted today.’”
Safety is another big concern for Kim. Like all parents, she wants her children to be able to run around and play outside and have fun without fear – something that just isn’t possible where they live now. However, finances have kept her pinned in place. Her priority was making sure her family had enough food, and that meant there wasn’t always money left over to save. A home in a nice neighborhood, with clean streets and yards that you can run barefoot through, isn’t cheap.
Your support has been instrumental in helping Kim. When the cost of groceries threatened to overwhelm her budget, she was able to turn to Feed the Children.
“When my refrigerator is empty, I feel less of a person,” Kim admits. “Honestly, it kind of takes my confidence down just a little bit when it comes to being a mother. Feed the Children has made a huge difference. I have a cabinet full of food. I am thankful for that, so now I can actually choose: ‘What is it we’re going to eat today?’”
That small, simple dignity of choice has helped Kim keep looking forward. Recently, she was able to start looking for a new place to live, somewhere her kids can play outside. She’s even started to look for a brick-and-mortar location she could rent for her business. Kim is a hairstylist, and currently, having no set storefront means that she has to travel to her customers. When her car breaks down, it means she can’t work. If customers came to her instead, the increase in her potential income would be huge.
There will be more challenges down the road for Kim. Breaking the cycle of poverty and food insecurity is never easy. But Kim hasn’t given up hope – far from it. If anything, her desire to improve herself and her children’s situation has only made her more motivated.
“I don’t like to let my children see me down,” she says. “Because at the end of the day, there is always a way to get back up.”
Thank you, to all donors, for being part of Kim’s way back up!
