Originally from Haiti, Sofi left her home in pursuit of opportunity. She knew she had a deep passion for food and cooking. If she was given a chance to succeed, she knew she would take it. She and her husband moved to Orlando where he quickly found work as a dishwasher and she began working part-time at a theme park restaurant. The move proved to be an instant improvement for … [Read more...] about Sofi’s Story: “I feel like I can do anything.”
Stories of Hope & Courage
Rachelle’s Story: “Everything is falling into place.”
Rachelle has always been devoted to her family. She and her husband married right after high school and started a family. She stayed at home while he worked to support their family of seven. She always wanted to go back to school or find a career of her own, but life had a way of always throwing curveballs. “I pressed pause on my life to be there for my kids,” Rachelle … [Read more...] about Rachelle’s Story: “Everything is falling into place.”
Tikaya’s Story of Hope & Courage
If you’d met Tikaya two years ago, you would say she was on the right track. She graduated from Jones High School, earned an associate’s degree and completed cosmetology training. She worked as a stylist for several years and began teaching at a local college. Tikaya and her three children were happy, healthy and helpful. “My passion was always helping people, either in … [Read more...] about Tikaya’s Story of Hope & Courage
Nina’s Story: “I appreciate you with all of my heart.”
Nina has always loved to cook. As a stay at home mom, she prepared scratch-cooked meals for her family. Her husband had a good, steady job in maintenance for an apartment complex but sometimes it was not enough. She visited a food pantry to help keep food on the table. As her daughters grew up, Nina started to find work outside of the house, mostly cleaning houses. She used … [Read more...] about Nina’s Story: “I appreciate you with all of my heart.”
Heather’s Story of Hope & Courage
The 2018 ALICE report revealed that almost half of Central Florida’s residents are not earning enough income to pay for basic living expenses like rent, electricity, food and clothing. Like many families who live paycheck to paycheck, Heather and her husband try to keep their budget simple. She tries to instill the values of appreciation and gratitude in their six children for … [Read more...] about Heather’s Story of Hope & Courage
