Jodi started her path when she turned away from 13 years of drug abuse, which caused her to lose her home and her two sons.
“I was sleeping in my car for a long time,” said Jodi. “Then I faced a felony and lost my license and my car. I had hit rock bottom.”
Social service organization Sans Souci connected Jodi to Bartholomew County Works, a program of the Lincoln Central Neighborhood Family Center that helps prepare local people with the skills they need to secure a full-time job with benefits. Jodi walked to her Bartholomew County Works class every day, and after completing the program secured a job at Caltherm in Columbus, IN. Still without a license and a car, Jodi woke at 2:30 a.m. to walk to her new 4:30 a.m. start time at Caltherm.
Things were looking up until her housing situation shifted and she was facing homelessness again. Determined not to slip back into the cycle of poverty, she turned to her resources at Bartholomew County Works.
“They sent me to Love Chapel and Human Services, Inc., who helped me get temporary housing for three months,” said Jodi. “I saved all my paychecks and only spent what I absolutely had to.”
Jodi’s mentors noticed her focus and discipline.
“They were surprised at how much I was saving,” said Jodi. “They helped me pay my first month’s rent to get my own apartment.”
Today, Jodi lives in her apartment with her dog Star and her youngest son. She still works at Caltherm, but no longer walks to work. She recently got her license and saved enough to buy a car.
What is Jodi looking forward to next?
“Just looking to live life now,” said Jodi. “I’m enjoying it.”
