Thankful mom receives prayer and a full trunk at StreetWise

Sacoyia discovered StreetWise and didn’t look back.

“When I first found out about StreetWise, I was in between jobs and looking for help,” explained Sacoyia. “I searched online and called a whole bunch of places, but I eventually found StreetWise and I’ve been going there ever since.”

Things got even better when she connected with Working Families, a StreetWise program offering Thursday evening appointments. For a working mom like Sacoyia, this schedule change made a big difference. 

I started out with the weekday appointment, and then I started doing Working Families. That was a great help because before then I was using my lunch break to catch my appointment,” she said. “So, when they came out with the appointments on Thursday at 7 p.m., I knew it’d be perfect.”

Because of this change, Sacoyia was able to spend a little more time with her four children.

“When I was going to StreetWise on my lunch break, my kids weren’t able to be there with me. But now they can come with me and sit on a little bench while we wait to go inside,” she said.

After having visited other help services, Sacoyia loved the hospitality she found at StreetWise.

“Everyone’s just so welcoming and good; they’re open to listening to you and they’re very helpful. StreetWise has never left a bad taste in my mouth. I’ve been to some places where people are rude, even though they chose to give out the help,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to seek help when you need it because StreetWise is there, and they’ll fill your whole car.”

Sacoyia not only appreciates the material help, but also the emotional connection she found at StreetWise.

“The food is a great help, but so is going through the clothes and finding stuff for my kids. It’s also been really helpful to know that there are people who genuinely want to help and will pray with me when I’m in a tough moment,” she said. “It’s relieving to know that there are people who actually want to help and care for me and my family.”

StreetWise aims to meet spiritual needs, too. Each visit, volunteers make a point to ask clients if they’d like someone to pray with them – an opportunity Sacoyia said she appreciates.

“Every time I ask for prayer, I don’t even have to go into detail about what I need prayer for,” she said. “They just know the right words to say.”

For Sacoyia, StreetWise has been a positive connection for her and her family.

“StreetWise means a lot to me because even though I do receive food stamps, it’s not enough. They only give me about $700 a month and that’s usually gone halfway through the month,” she added. “StreetWise is a great help. I don’t know what we would do if it wasn’t for StreetWise.”