Katie

Katie, a single mother of a 6-year-boy, was born and raised in Cambridge, moved away for a couple of years, and moved back with her family once she had her son. As a victim of domestic violence, Katie received full physical and legal custody of her son. “Being able to provide my son with a happy, healthy, good quality life is the most important thing to me. I don't want him to miss out on any opportunities that he would want to pursue, especially because I am unable to afford for him to do it.”

Before being selected for Cambridge RISE program, Katie’s only source of income was $531 a month from the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) cash assistance program. “I would pay for everything including rent, phone, diapers, and gas just about every month. I would be lucky to have $20/week left over for anything else.” Katie shares that most months she could not afford to buy things like coffee or go to the zoo with her son, even with reduced rate tickets. Things were out of her budget. “My son and I even shared a slice of pizza for dinner one night.” When Katie was notified, she was selected for Cambridge RISE she expressed that “this was the opportunity of a lifetime and I felt like I had hit the lottery!”

Since being in the program, Katie has been less stressed about her monthly bills and enjoys spending quality time with her son. “I now don't stress about going to buy my son a new jacket when he has outgrown his last one, or a new pair of shoes when he needs them. I can also take him out on adventures, spend the day at the museum or drive to the beach for a few hours.” Katie adds, “As a single mother, there is not much that I do alone, but I now have the opportunity to take my son to dinner and enjoy a nice night out with him about once a month.”