Young moms face many challenges. In addition to providing child care, many have household chores and outside jobs. Knowing that, NEP Advisor Kelly Issacs still attended Head Start Night in Fayette County to sign up students.

After listening to Kelly’s sample class, one mom of two toddlers stayed behind. Once the room was empty, “Kim,” whose name is not being used to protect her privacy, thanked Kelly and said she would love to take the classes.

Kim, it turned out, longed to learn how to cook. Her lack of a car also impacted her life. Her family typically ran low on food by the end of the month but she had no transportation to the local pantries. That left the family struggling to make do with food purchased once a month, when a friend drove her to a nearby grocery store.

“She shyly explained she suffers from social anxiety and PTSD,” Kelly said. “She ask if I could do a one-on-one class series due to her personal restrictions.  She proceeded to tell me that she does not drive and would be walking to get to the class but gave her word she would show up. I tried to coach her into a small class with just two others, but she just did not think she could manage it.”

“Even in the cold, I will be there. I really need this,” Kim told Kelly.

Kim left her children with family and walked 4.5 miles one way to attend Kelly’s classes, never missing one session.

“She said to me, ‘I want to do better. I just do not know how,'” Kelly said. “I made a promise to her that we would WALK through this together.”

Since then, Kelly has worked with Kim to help her manage her resources and to teach her kitchen skills.

“We have graduated from a simple smoothie to crockpot chicken and rice,” Kelly said. “We continue to go over every way I know to make that once a month trip to Kroger count and go as far as possible.”