RICHMOND, Va. — For Katalina Walker, life the past few months has been pretty dark.
“It's really been a struggle," she explained. "I mean, it's been a struggle."
The single mom to two little girls hasn't been able to find work.
"Well with them being young children, it's been very hard for me to hold a job considering I don't really have close family here in the state," she noted.
She was reaching her breaking point, fearing everyday she may lose her children.
“I try so hard to provide, and it's like, there's nothing," said Walker.
After months of searching for resources, she said a phone call from her child's school changed her life.
"Right then and there, I knew that that was the answer," Walker explained. "You know, that was the hope right there for me."
Hope for Learning was on the other end of the phone. It's a nonprofit aimed at helping alleviate families' burdens at home, so children can focus on learning.
"When she started calling around, and she couldn't find help anywhere, it was crucial for us to be there for her," said Hope for Learning executive director Chuck Caple.
Caple and his team are working to take away some of the extra stress Walker and her children face by providing basic household necessities, like food and toiletries.
"It's knowing that the food is gonna be there, you know, that they're taking care of that the support I need, that mommy's doing the things that she needs to do to get better," Walker tearfully explained.
Walker is now part of Hope for Learning’s Resource 180 program, which CBS 6 first told you about back in January.
Initially, Caple expected the program to run six months as they helped about twenty families cover costs at home.
"The need is much greater," noted Caple. "We said that when school closes, the need doesn't stop. In the summertime, the kids lose that safety net, that safety blanket, they have those two free meals every day."
Now, Resource 180 is keeping its name but serving metro Richmond families 365 days a year.
“We can be a part of the solution," he noted. "We can make a difference.”
Caple will spend the summer communicating directly with parents and delivering groceries.
"I just love the fact that they check on me every day, you know," said Walker. "It's nice to know that they care. And they're like, hey, is there anything you need? How are you today? You know, just feeling like I'm not invincible."
Walker says her life is now looking up. Her fridge and pantry are fully stocked, and her outlook on life is much brighter.
"For anybody out there listening, you know, like, there is hope," she smiled. There are people that care."
Hope for Learning is in the process of identifying more families in need of their services.
They rely on donations, and if you’d like to help out, you can visit www.hopeforlearning.org to make a donation.
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