MIAMI (WSVN) - A South Florida school district is helping a local family who fell on hard times get their children ready to return to school.
A single mother of two expressed her pain days before her children, ages 9 and 14, have to return to school. “I’m hurt. I’m hurt. I don’t like for my kids to see me,” said single mom Heather. “I hate for my kids to see me cry. I just keep praying and asking God for help and asking God for help for me and my kids.”
Project Upstart may be just what Heather needed. The Miami-Dade County Public School District initiative helps families in need.
They created a store that provides everything new from backpacks to shirts, free of cost. All the items have been provided by those in the community.
“They know I would do anything for them,” Heather said. “There’s no limit. There’s only us. We are all we have.”
Heather said her life hit rock bottom 10 years ago with a conviction for grand theft. She then moved to South Florida to take care of her mom who had lung cancer and died later in April. Heather and her children stayed at her mother’s house until they were evicted. “I don’t want you to think this is a sad moment, but I want you to understand that things happen in life,” she said.
Life continued to be difficult for Heather and her family. Up until recently, they spent their nights sleeping in her car and then temporarily stayed at a friend’s house.
“All a mother wants to do is to protect her child,” said Debra Albo Steiger with Project Upstart, “and when I see this day in and day out, caring parents like Heather who just want to do the best they can for their child, and they can’t.”
Heather remains hopeful that she will get a job and provide a better life for her family. “You already know the things we are going through, so mommy decided to reach out for help,” she said as she held one of her children.
And with that help, Heather’s daughter can think about having a bright future at school.
If you’d like to help, visit this link: http://studentservices.dadeschools.net/projectupstart. If you’d like to be helped, you can fill out a form at your local public school, and depending on eligibility, Project Upstart will contact you.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.