Jenny Johnson Holds Family Together with Help from United Way
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Hardworking, well-meaning people in Central Florida are hurting - many of them families with children. This year the need is the most critical we've seen in decades.
Will you help?
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Jenny Johnson, 28, is petite, bright and full of energy. She's also extremely busy. In addition to working full time and raising her own two sons, she's also a surrogate "mom" for her teenage siblings, Kelvin, 16, and Ashley, 18.
Jenny beams with pride when she talks about Ashley, who just started school at Florida A&M University. "No one in our family has ever gone to college before," she said. "I'm so happy for her."
When Jenny was 18, things were different. After her grandmother - the only real mother she ever knew - died, Jenny and her siblings went to live with an aunt who didn't want them.
As soon as she was able, Jenny moved out and brought her siblings to live with her. Though things were never easy, finances reached a breaking point last year when she could no longer afford to pay the rent.
Fortunately, when she called United Way 2-1-1, she was qualified to receive temporary rent and utility assistance. In addition, case managers helped the family find a better place to live and even coached Ashley on how to fill out college applications.
Today, thanks to a job promotion and timely help from United Way, Jenny’s family is doing much better. “I’m only 28, but I’ve struggled for so long, sometimes I feel like an old lady,” she said. “United Way really, really helped. If it wasn’t for them, we’d probably be homeless.”
When you support United Way, you support our work to help thousands of Central Floridians like Jenny and her family who are struggling to survive these difficult times. This holiday season, please consider making a difference with a generous year-end, tax-deductible gift.
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