Angelina's life began as an uphill battle. During her adolescent years she had already been through foster care, emancipated herself from her parents and became a mother herself. Faced with the pressures of being a middle-school student and single parent, she dropped out in order to work full-time.

"I was a baby having a baby," Angelina said. "I have been forced to make hard decisions without feelings of regret."

With hopes of changing the life of her young daughter, Angelina moved her small family out to Colorado to live with her mother. However things were still not going Angelina's way. Her mother was still living the life that Angelina had tried to escape from as a child and soon they found themselves homeless.

Compounding her problems, Angelina's boyfriend, now fiancé, broke his leg and was no longer able to work. Dealing with the financial and emotional stress of several surgeries and diabetic medication, Angelina's full-time job as a Certified Nursing Assistance soon too slipped away. Her small family had now reached a critical point and was in need of serious help.

Angelina and her family turned to Jeffco Action Center. The young family needed help paying rent, medical bills, buying diabetic supplies, food and clothing.

The Jeffco Action Center's mission is to provide an immediate response to basic human needs and promotes pathways to self-sufficiency for its clients. All clients meet with a Client Services Counselor who evaluates their needs and arranges for the immediate services they can provide. Clients can make use of the Action Center's food bank, receive rent or utility assistance, medical assistance, utilize the clothing bank, receive bus tokens and get work readiness support.

"The Jeffco Action Center is a one of a kind in Jefferson County," said Angelina, "They provided us with hope and dignity. We utilized the Action Center at the darkest time in our life without shame. Every suggestion they made we took it."

Jeffco Action Center's counselors also help clients connect with other community resources through referrals, including Red Rocks Community College. It was here that Angelina's hard work and dedication paid off. In just five years she was able to earn her GED, Phlebotomy Certification and in May, 2009 Angelina graduated with an Associates of Applied Science. She was the first in her family to earn a GED and is a first generation college graduated. Angelina plans to continue her education and is now working on her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Following the lead of Jeffco Action Center, Angelina is now giving back to her own community by working in the Gateway Program at RRCC. It is a program for those who have been involved in the criminal justice system and experienced the same difficult hardships as Angelina. They are men and women looking to start their career and end the cycle of poverty.

She credits the Jeffco Action Center for helping her to be the strong woman she is today.

"My future now has unlimited opportunities. Once we had finally caught our breath from the knockout of our burdens we refused to let the resources go without success."

Angelina thanks the Action Center for strengthen her family and teaching her the self sufficiency needed to lead her family down the right path.

"I have experienced a lot of life's curve balls," Angelina says. "And when they are pitched I can always remember the hope and dedication from the Jeffco Action Center."

ABOUT JEFFCO ACTION CENTER
Jeffco Action Center provides an immediate response to basic human needs and promotes pathways to self-sufficiency through intervention, prevention and connection to essential services. More than 25,000 Jefferson County residents receive assistance annually at the Action Center with food, clothing, homeless shelter, medical and utility assistance. With the help of hundreds of volunteers, the Action Center gives help, provides hope and builds dignity while breaking the cycle of poverty. For more information and to make donations please contact Joe Haines at 303-237-7704 or visit us at www.jeffcoac.org.