Misti’s New Beginning


This blog was written with the help of Feeding America. 

 

 

It’s raining in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, but Misti and her family stay warm inside what she calls their “safe space” – a home resulting from the journey she never gave up on. 

 

Not long ago, Misti was in a very different place. 

 

“I came from a domestic violence marriage, and that’s how I started out with me and the boys on our own,” she said. 

 

As Misti left her marriage and bravely began a new chapter in her life, she and her sons experienced homelessness temporarily – but Misti’s resilience prevailed. 

 

“When we were homeless, I was actually working full-time at a corporate office,” Misti said. “It was a lot to be homeless and still carrying a full-time job, but with the job I was able to work on my credit and then worked on finding a place.” 

 

Misti eventually saved enough to move into an apartment with her sons – but she was determined not to stop there. She worked a part-time job in addition to her full-time position, with the goal of raising her credit and saving enough to afford a downpayment on her own home. 

 

However, managing her finances and coming up with a long-term plan was something she needed a little help with – which is how she found Second Harvest’s Path of Hope program. 

 

Second Harvest offers Path of Hope as part of our Empowerment Services intended to provide additional support beyond what our other Food Access programs cover and help folks work towards a life of self-sufficiency. This includes grocery shopping appointments, education, financing, legal assistance, nutrition, cooking classes, and more. 

 

“Every two weeks, I would meet up with Laura and Kevin, and they went over the three goals that I had, which was to get on a budget so I could buy a house and to meal plan and to actually buy a house,” Misti said. 

 

Path of Hope also provided food for Misti and her sons so that she could focus on saving for a home. “They were there for me and my family as security,” Misti said. “They were there for encouragement. They made sure we never went without, that we never had to worry about our food or where we were going to get our next meal from. It’s more than just a program. We’ve become basically family.” 

 

By pushing the boundaries of what a food bank can do, Second Harvest strives to address the root issues behind food insecurity. Programs like Path of Hope can be especially beneficial for single-parent households like Misti’s. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, food insecurity was 2.5 times higher in households headed by single women compared to all households. 

 

After a year in Path of Hope, Misti was ready to purchase her own home. 

 

“I’m proud of where I came from,” she said. “I’m proud that I’ve been able to completely change my life around, that I’m able to not struggle like I was.” 

 

“Knowing that somebody’s there and somebody does care, especially in your lowest moments and your darkest moments is really powerful,” she said. “They do give people hope.” 

 

 

Ending hunger requires more than food. For more information on our Path of Hope program, please visit SecondHarvestETN.org/program/empowerment-services or email Laura@SecondHarvestETN.org. 

 

To read more stories about members of our East Tennessee community, please visit SecondHarvestETN.org/blog.