When Priscilla Waddell first heard about our Getting Ahead program, she was waiting to receive free groceries at our evening food pantry in Monroe. She took the flyer and read it – a small moment that would eventually lead to big change, she said.

As a single mom of four, Priscilla has spent most of her children’s lives doing everything she can to make ends meet. “It’s a struggle with one income,” she said. “Everything I do is for them. I just want to do better for my children.”

Her children – ages 23, 21, 15, and 14 – are her constant motivation. Over the years, that motivation has carried her through incredibly difficult seasons, including a time when the family experienced homelessness and lived in a hotel.

Through tough conversations about the causes of poverty with her fellow GA investigators, Priscilla grew. She built relationships, gained confidence, and discovered resources she didn’t know were available in Union County. 

She was one of 5 people to graduate from Getting Ahead in March. 

During the 19-session Getting Ahead program, participants like Priscilla discuss 11 resources that we each need to thrive: financial, emotional, mental/cognitive, language, social capital, physical, spiritual, integrity & trust, motivation & persistence, relationships/role models, and knowledge of hidden rules. 

Poverty isn’t just about money, but it is often the first thing people think of when talking about instability. 

Our Getting Ahead graduates have access to continuous growth through free success coaching and a $500 Emergency Savings Incentive Plan. Priscilla has enrolled in the savings program and is working toward the goals she set for herself. 

“Now I feel like I’m in a better place,” she said. “I know more local resources and people who are willing to help me. I also know where I can go to get support for my long-term goals.”

At the top of that list: a home of her own. She’s been steadily employed in food services at the hospital in Monroe for 10 years. 

“I make a good income,” she said. “I just need to learn how to manage it better and use the resources around me.” 

And she’s not keeping GA to herself.

“I tell people about it at work all the time and have handed out a few flyers,” she said. “I’ve had a great experience.”

For Priscilla, Getting Ahead wasn’t just a class – it was a turning point. A chance to be heard, to make new friends, and to move forward.

Because at the heart of it all are the four reasons she keeps going:

“I just want to do better for my children,” she said.