Ginger was a mortician, was married, her husband was employed and life was good.  Then her husband took seriously ill.  Soon she had to quit her job and stay home to care for him.  He passed away and she realized that her husband had no health insurance and they owed money on the house and car.  She also found out that her credentials had expired and she needed to take courses and tests in order to return to her job.  This required more than $500, which she did not have.  She had lost her husband, her job, her home and her car.  Eventually she left Texas and moved to Hampton Roads where she found two part time jobs.  One was at a grocery store where she had odd and decreasing hours.  The other was at a gas station in a less than desirable part of town.  She was able to rent an efficiency unit from Housing Development Corporation of Hampton Roads.  Sometimes she had a problem paying her rent, but always explained her situation to the property manager.  Arrangements were made for her to help clean the inside of the building and the money earned went towards paying her rent.  Ginger was a hard working woman who wanted to get out of her situation and be independent again.  HDCofHR Board members helped her with her resume and put in a good word for her for a customer relations position.  Because of her work at the funeral home, she was a great fit.  Ginger now had a full time job with benefits.  Over time, Ginger was able to move closer to her job, which meant moving out of HDCofHR’s housing.  Eventually she was able to return to Texas where she believed she would be able to resume her work as a mortician.

 HDCofHR’s quality, affordable rental housing, her personal drive and determination, and the assistance provided by HDCofHR Board members enabled Ginger to return to a profession which she loved and resume the life she had prior to falling on hard times.