Kay and her three-year old son, Larry, found themselves homeless after being evicted from a friend's rental. Since Kay wasn't on the lease, the landlord told her she and Larry had to leave. At the time Kay was receiving only child support. When Kay moved into the shelter the case worker bought her some groceries with a donated good card and scheduled a time to meet with the food pantry to get additional staples until she was able to sign up for food stamps. She had insurance through her husband, who was in ther service in Iraq at the time. He filed for divorce while Kay and Larry were staying at the haven. The week that Kay moved into the shelter, the case manager helped her fill out four applications for low-income housing, and they also discussed job leads. Kay found a 32 hour per week job after a week of searching; however, she continued to look for a 40 hour per week job with better pay. Western Dairyland's employment specialist, Carrie, helped Kay fill out applications and brought her additional job leads. Carrie purchased a new pair of work shoes for Kay, as her current shoes gave her blisters.
The family was denied low-income housing due to bad credit and a past eviction. The case manager helped kay send for her credit report and set up a budget that included paying off past-due bills as well as eviction expenses. Once debts were paid off, Kay was able to re-apply for low-income housing. The family found a unsubsidized rental in town and was referred to Workforce Connections, so Kay could apply for an emergency housing grant to pay for the security deposit. Catholic Charities assisted with $300 of the rent, and Kay paid $280 out of money that she saved while living in the shelter. When issues with the landlord arose, Kay was referred to Legal Action of Wisconsin which worked with Kay to inform her of her rights and settle some issues for her.
Larry was referred to Head Start, and home-based services began two weeks later. He went to a center twice weekly for socialization as well. Family members helped him with daycare, and Western Dairyland provided Kay with gas vouchers for her vehicle. Four months after starting the program, Kay transferred to third shift at her job to earn an extra $2.00 per hour. Her father moved in to help with expenses and watched Larry while Kay worked. When Kay left the program six months later, she was making above 50% income and was no longer on food stamps, Medical Assistance, or WIC. She relied on her customized budget plan to stay current on her rental payment and bills.