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Testimonials & Success Stories

At the CRC, we see individuals and families who are facing a crisis regarding their basic needs. 

Take Janelle*, for example, who had been sharing a Teton Valley home with her spouse for many years. Her son lived in the Valley with his wife and children as well. Earlier this year both families were facing loss of the homes they were renting.

 

Their wish was simple: Shelter they could afford.

 

Janelle reached out to the CRC in search of housing during the bleakest rental market we’ve seen in years. It just so happened that we were aware of a rental that was affordable, yet needed some updating and minor repairs. Janelle and her spouse were willing to work with its cosmetic issues and quickly realized that the space would be large enough to house her son and his family as well. 

 

Our case managers were able to assist the family with the rental application, provide translation services to conduct a zoom meeting with the landlord to discuss lease details, and help with utility set up. Just a couple of weeks later three generations were safely and affordably housed.

We spoke with Janelle recently as part of our recently adopted long-term follow up program. They are still living in the home we helped them obtain, working local jobs, with their grandchildren attending local schools.

father, son, beach-5469311.jpg
When the world seemed to stop, a newborn arrived.


Sound familiar? Many of us know a family member or friend who welcomed someone new during the pandemic. Babies are undoubtedly a financial adjustment, but especially during a time of record unemployment.


For Sarah and her husband, it was a domino effect of life changes that left them in a lurch. First COVID-19 hit, then they welcomed a new member of their family (they already had an 18-month--old) and shortly after, they both lost their source of income. Due to her husband’s immigrant status, collecting unemployment wasn’t an option.


Thankfully, her husband was able to pick up a job a few months later, but their hopes were dashed when he started experiencing severe migraines from wearing a mask all day. It turned out, the job just wasn’t sustainable for him.


That’s when Sarah saw a yellow flyer that read “Community Resource Center of Teton Valley.” She was blown away that a resource like ours existed in such a small area.  “We went to the food bank at the center first. I was like, ‘Wow, this is great!’ Then they asked me if we had applied for financial assistance yet,” said Sarah.


Our case manager outlined the documents needed for our in-house Quality of Life Financial Assistance Program, which provided assistance with their current month's rent. She went on to connect Sarah to additional resources in the area and helped her complete an application for rent assistance through Idaho Housing and Finance Association. They qualified for four months of rental assistance, and other means of support, and gradually her family’s finances started to stabilize. 
Sarah, CRC Client

“I never felt alone or like we weren’t going to make it. The [Community Resource Center] are the heroes of the pandemic. They were constantly working hard to keep us all afloat...there every step of the way.”

Stephanie** came to the CRCTV swimming in medical bills. She was 6 months into a very high-risk pregnancy, which demanded visits to multiple providers for her care. Without insurance, however, the care was coming at quite the cost. Although Stephanie’s spouse was making enough money to cover all of the family’s basic needs, the plethora of bills coming due were out of their budget, and she was no longer able to work.

Together, we reviewed the family’s income and determined how much they could realistically pay toward medical bills each month. Stephanie felt overwhelmed and intimidated by the negotiation process, so we were able to speak with the various medical providers and facilities on her behalf. We navigated the process of communicating with providers, setting up payment plans, and budgeting for new expenses during follow up visits. Additionally, the CRCTV was able to help her apply for a women’s health grant that covered most of her ultrasonography fees.

Although still facing a tough life circumstance, this left Stephanie feeling much more settled than when she came for her first visit, a definite success in our eyes.Although our work with clients often involves financial assistance, there are many situations (such as Stephanie’s story) that are navigated through connection and guidance alone.

**Name changed for privacy
CRC Client

When Chelsea** came in to the CRCTV, she was riddled with shame and guilt, as this kind of situation was not where she envisioned finding herself. She was worried about losing her rental and having her electricity disconnected due to lack of payment. She had no idea what help existed but hoped to find out when she reached out to the CRCTV.


We worked with Chelsea to fill out an application for energy assistance and paid for part of the existing balance to ensure that her family would continue to have heat. Through our Quality of Life Program, we were able to pay for a large portion of the previous month’s rent to prevent eviction and a second displacement in under a year.

Additionally, we encouraged her to take advantage of our Food Rescue Program to offset food costs, got the children signed up for Toys for Tots, and provided a needed legal referral. Chelsea’s situation is still challenging, but she reports that things are definitely looking up. She is back to work and things are slowly getting caught up and back to normal, an accomplishment we are proud to hear of.


**Name changed for privacy
CRC Client
Sometimes life feels like one big thunderstorm….Take Ashley** for example, who came in feeling defeated and hopeless. Earlier this year, Ashley was diagnosed with endometrial cancer and had been undergoing treatments that necessitated her husband missing work to take her to Idaho Falls multiple times a week.


Having to miss work made for far less income, and for the first time ever, Ashley and her husband found themselves struggling to pay their basic household bills. Ashley reached out to The Community Resource Center, not knowing where else to turn. We were able to help Ashley apply to a special fund for women with cancer, which subsequently paid her electric and propane bills for the month.


Additionally, the Community Resource Center was able to purchase insulin for Ashley, a medication that is crucial in managing her Type 1 diabetes. With this help, Ashley’s skies became a bit sunnier. She and her husband were able to regain hope and focus on beating her cancer!


**Name changed for privacy

CRC Client
Charles** found the CRCTV after being unemployed for several months. He came in feeling deflated and with head in hands said, “I’m just flat broke.” As Charles spoke about his past few months, it became clear that he was struggling with figuring out where to go next. Having held his previous job with the same company for 15 years, much of his identity was tied up in the work that he had done.


Together, we reviewed our online Teton Valley Job Inventory and found a couple of listings for which he was well-qualified. With application assistance and a bit of encouragement, Charles reached out to a potential employer and quickly landed a job! Meanwhile, the CRCTV assisted him with applying for Energy Assistance to alleviate a portion of his large, overdue electric bill, supplied him with food from our Food Rescue Program, and purchased him a tank of gas to get to his new job the next week.


We followed up with Charles a few weeks later and he told us, “You know, at 61 I wasn’t looking for a new direction, but this has turned out pretty good!” We feel fortunate to have helped Charles carve out a new path.


**Name changed for privacy
CRC Client
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