One Family’s Unforgettable Experience
The Scott Family has had many obstacles to overcome, especially in the last year. Both Mr. Scott and one of his daughters are disabled, allowing the family to collect social security disability insurance (or SSDI).
Due to a minor, but devastating clerical error, last year Mr. Scott’s SSDI benefits suddenly and unexpectedly stopped. The family relied on this income and not having it made paying rent extremely difficult. Eventually, the family was evicted from their home.
“Losing our home was the most difficult time of our lives. We didn’t know where to go or what to do,” said Mrs. Scott.
Relatives took them in temporarily, but soon turned them away due to lack of space for a family of six. With nowhere else to go, the Scotts turned to DuPagePads for help. The family was grateful to have temporary shelter in DuPagePads Interim (Overnight) Housing Program, but still faced unique challenges. Their daughter is significantly disabled and moving her from location to location and encountering new people each night was very hard on her.
Her parents immediately began working with DuPagePads staff and volunteers to try to establish routines for her special needs. This extra effort helped her tremendously. Mr. Scott said, “DuPagePads staff were great in helping our daughter adjust. It meant a lot to us that DuPagePads really cared about the well-being of my family.”
The Scotts also began working with DuPagePads Career Employment Solutions Program to secure employment and were also referred to Prairie State Legal Services to correct the benefits error. With the help of donated legal services and DuPagePads case managers, Mr. Scott was eventually able to reinstate his SSDI. “We would have never been able to do it without DuPagePads,” added Mrs. Scott.
Now that their disabled daughter and Mr. Scott were both getting the help they needed, the family began to explore housing options with their case manager. After much consideration, the family eventually decided to make a big move and apply for housing in another state to be near relatives.
Due to the collaboration of the Scott family, DuPagePads advocacy, and the state’s Housing Authority, the Scotts were approved for housing. They now would have a safe and stable environment for their children to grow up.
The only obstacle still left in making their new family dream a reality was their transportation needs. With DuPagePads’ help, their car was repaired and in good working order so that the Scotts could safely make the trip to their new home. DuPagePads provided a gift card for gas as well.
“We love our new home! DuPagePads’ dedication and kindness has meant the world to us,” added Mr. Scott.
The family continues to have contact with DuPagePads staff and is happy to report that their children are doing well in school and their daughter has settled in to a comforting routine.
Mrs. Scott concluded, “Being in this circumstance made us grateful for our DuPagePads case managers. It’s an experience we will never forget and we thank DuPagePads for helping to make the situation a lot more manageable.”