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COVID-19 Knocked Him Down, but Stable Families Lifted Him Up!
“I love both my sons with all my life,” said Jerrod Anderson. The father of two, China-14 and Chandler-7, moved to Western Hills from Colerain Township in 2016. So, when COVID-19 struck his family hard, Jerrod did not hesitate to reach out for help from Santa Maria.
Getting diagnosed with COVID-19 set Jerrod back physically, mentally and financially. He was behind on rent and other bills all the while fighting for his life. Francesca Phillis, Bilingual Case Manager in Santa Maria’s Stable Families program, enrolled Jerrod in the program. Stable Families is an 18-month program designed to keep families in their homes and children in school.
Stable Families was able to help Jerrod get caught up on his back rent, and set future financial goals. Francesca added, “Stable Families was also able to provide Jerrod with a laptop to embark on his job search and 30-day bus passes, so he did not have to pay for transportation out of pocket.” Jerrod’s job search was successful. He is now a formulation technician for ThermoFisher Scientific!
Jerrod gives thanks for his progress to his coach, Francesca. “She's awesome and has been the biggest blessing in our lives,” Jerrod said. “We ran into a mountain with rental assistance, but we moved that mountain and got through it with her great knowledge and hard-as-nails, driven attitude.” Francesca believes Jerrod deserves all the credit. “Jerrod is very motivated and driven to provide a good future for himself and his children,” she said.
Jerrod and Francesca made a monthly budget plan that Jerrod is sticking to. He has also received food, cleaning supplies for his home, and educational books and a booster seat for Chandler. Jerrod is passionate about his new career at ThermoFisher, calling it his “dream job.” He would like to do some community outreach in the future and possibly some motivational speaking. Jerrod has a license and degree in chemical dependency for adults and would like to also do case management. In addition, he recently started a cleaning business and is looking for ways to expand it in the future. “We are very blessed and happy,” Jerrod said, “And the only way to go from here is up.”
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