“I’d like to tell a story—a story of hardship. And I’m just thankful, when I reached out to some community friends—one being Miss Rosa and her team at Catholic Charities—they helped me through my hardship. They’ve seen me through my rough times. Now I’m able to sustain myself and live normal once again. I thank Miss Rosa for all her care and concern and her hard work. There’s a lot of others out there needing that help, and I’m just thankful that it was given to me. Now I can look at having a new life. Have a little extra money now—not to party—but to go to bills and to save. And I’m very grateful and thankful that I was able to overcome the crisis with friends in the community. What I’d like to share with everyone is that never have doubt, never have fear, never feel left out. Reach out to your community. It’s friends in the community that will help you.” Willie was behind in rent and in a financial crisis after losing his job during the pandemic. Rosa Reich, a case manager with Catholic Charities of Central Florida’s Family Stability Program, helped catch up on his rent payments and halt the eviction process.
