Sharon’s Story

Sharon, 59, works full-time at a local bank and makes a home for her grandchildren. She decided to buy a house, after renting all her life, because “I wanted my grandkids to have a safe and stable living situation. They’ve never had that kind of security,” she says. After a long search, Sharon finally found a house she could afford. It had room for everyone, and the kids wouldn’t have to switch schools.  “I bought the house ‘as is’ for a price I can manage, but I didn’t realize how much more it would take to make it habitable,” she says. The biggest problem was that the house had no furnace, and a new one would cost over $7,000.

Sharon’s sister told her about United for Women, a United Way-funded program designed to help women who can’t pay for essential household repairs. “I called and explained what happened, and a week later a new furnace was installed,” she says. The family will be moving in soon, and Sharon says the kids are ecstatic. “They’d been praying for a place like this. They were devastated when it seemed as if it wasn’t meant to be, but then everything fell into place with United Way’s support. We are so blessed.”