Marsha went from stability to desperation when she found herself homeless in June of 2012. “I didn’t think it could happen to me…nobody does…but it did.”

The year before, Marsha’s son was seriously injured in a car accident, leaving her with many medical bills. In less than a year, she spent everything she had, and she and her children became homeless.

Marsha soon contacted a local community organization that helped single mothers stabilize their families and regain self-sufficiency. The organization connected Marsha with an on-site financial counselor from the City of Denver’s Financial Empowerment Center.

Marsha started working with her counselor on re-building her credit and getting control of the significant debt she had accrued. When talking about her financial counselor’s role in helping her recover from homelessness, she said, “this is reassuring self-sufficiency work.”

Since working with her financial counselor, Marsha has been able to raise her credit score by over 200 points. “I take credit way more seriously now; I’m more committed to finding a way to manage my money effectively, instead of living above my means.”

Marsha continues to work on tackling her debt. She has even successfully purchased a home! Her commitment to achieving her goals has given her a new outlook on life. “There is hope now, and I know that my goals will be realized if I keep working on them,” Marsha said.