A Leap of Faith and a Lifeline for Tanya

Tanya had the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders. A single mom to a young son, Tanya had escaped an abusive relationship, leaving behind everything she once knew. Starting over with nothing, she worked tirelessly as an assistant teacher, but even full-time hours couldn’t bridge the gap between her paycheck and mounting bills. Rent became a constant struggle. With only a day left before her family faced homelessness, Tanya moved her belongings to storage and was searching for a shelter. Her heart was heavy with fear for her son’s future. In a moment of desperation, she cried out to God for help.‍

Leap of Faith and a Lifeline

That’s when she found BCM Georgia. With nothing to lose, Tanya took a chance and applied to their Foundation 3 program in 2024. It was a literal leap of faith that changed everything.

BCM became a lifeline, helping Tanya and her son to remain in their modest apartment that is so close to her job and her son’s school. For the first time in months, Tanya could breathe. BCM’s wrap around case management provided tools, guidance, and the peace of mind she needed to dust herself off and reclaim what life had tried to steal.

‍Forming New Habits

Through weekly case management meetings, Tanya began to see her life in a new light and push away self-doubt when it crept in. Tanya learned to set short-term and long-term financial goals, the art of budgeting and how to prioritize her income. She started tracking every purchase, forming habits that moved her away from living paycheck to paycheck and toward actual savings.

‍Hope and a HOPE Scholarship

BCM also helped Tanya pursue her dreams. She applied for financial aid and enrolled at a local college to study Early Childhood Education. With a Pell Grant and a Hope Scholarship covering her first semester’s tuition, and a BCM scholarship for her books, Tanya started classes last August. By April, she had earned her Technical Certificate of Credit (TCC) in Early Childhood Education, boosting her salary from $13 to $17 per hour as an Assistant GA Pre-K Teacher at a private daycare.

But Tanya isn’t stopping there. She remains enrolled in the associate’s degree program, with plans to complete her degree in 18 months. Her sights are set on lead Pre-K and kindergarten teacher positions, roles with a higher salary and a brighter future for her and her son.

What Tanya would share with others in a similar situation: It may seem impossible, scary, or even shameful to ask for help, but God is there through this program to help restore what was lost, learn what’s new, and provide confidence.

Family Transformed

With each step along her family’s transformation, Tanya’s confidence grew. She has been tackling her debt to improve her credit score, building good habits like writing down every purchase and budgeting to ensure she is no longer living paycheck to paycheck but is actually saving too. BCM’s Foundation 3 program didn’t just restore what was lost—it equipped her with new skills, a renewed sense of purpose, and the belief that a single mom can make it on her own. Tanya’s journey continues and BCM is walking alongside her hope filled journey.