“There’s a lot of programs that advertise they’ll help—but not all do,” says Sara Summers, a mother of four. “Save the Family helped us in so many ways, starting with a place to live.”
Sara, her husband, and their four children — ages five to thirteen — lost their home last year and found themselves living in a shelter. It was a frightening and uncertain time—her husband’s epilepsy made steady work impossible, and despite Sara’s full-time job at a call center, it simply wasn’t enough. It was at the UMOM shelter when she was connected with Save the Family.
The transition to rebuild and find stability again can be daunting, but Sara says the team made the process feel possible. “The first caseworkers we worked with were amazing,” she recalls. “They helped us with all the paperwork, gave us the resources we needed, and stayed in constant contact while we looked for a place to live,” Sara recalls. “Once we found one, they even helped communicate with the landlord and covered our rent—100 percent—for a long time.”
Save the Family also worked tirelessly to help the family secure a Section 8 voucher—something Sara had tried to do for years on her own. “They jumped through all the hoops and got it done in just a few months,” she says.
The support didn’t stop there. The family had access to budgeting support and participated in Adopt-a-Family for Christmas, where their kids received gifts and Sara could keep their holiday traditions alive. “Those things might seem small, but they mean everything to us,” she says. “We’ve been able to celebrate the holidays each year, even through all the challenges.”
That continued stability has allowed Sara to focus on her future. She’s now enrolled in school to become a diagnostic medical sonographer, building on her training in medical assisting. “I did really well on the test,” she says proudly. “I can’t wait for the next step.”
As families across Arizona face renewed uncertainty with food assistance programs like SNAP, Sara says she’s especially grateful for organizations like Save the Family that step in to fill the gap. This year specifically, she learned the Thanksgiving box from her local food bank, that she’s relied on for years, will no longer be available. “I’m so grateful Save the Family provides Thanksgiving meals too.”
“They gave us hope and a way forward,” she says. “They didn’t just say they’d help—they actually did.”
Help Another Family Find Their Way Home
Sara’s story shows what’s possible when a family gets the critical support they need to rebuild. Your gift provides that same life-changing help—from stable housing to career support—for another Arizona family.