We are often the first person at Compass that a prospective client speaks to, so we get to know a lot about our clients and what they are going through. These people and their stories stay with us: such as a domestic violence survivor who saw this program as an opportunity to finally be able to fully walk away financially from a person they did not want to be with; or a woman who had just lost her job as her son was getting ready to go off to college, and who felt like she was really starting to lose hope. For both of these women, and the many other people we’ve spoken with, this program feels like a silver lining and a reason for hope in these difficult times.
In addition to the pandemic, it has also been both challenging and rewarding to do this work as we both process the continued racism in our country – from the ways in which COVID has been so much worse in communities of color, to the killings of Black people by the police. Compass has acknowledged our feelings and given us the space and support to express and work through our emotions.
We see the ways that people with low incomes – especially women of color – are often portrayed. The truth is, we all have dreams for the future. We all want to help push the next generation forward. We all want our kids to do better than we did financially. When places like Compass illuminate the pathway, we will do the footwork ourselves if it means a better, brighter future for the people that we love.
