Johnette Hill, a single mother of four, was experiencing homelessness and financial hardship. During this period, she was raising three of her young children — ages 10, 6 and 4 — while living in hotels. Without a car, Johnette relied on walking and public transportation to commute to work, often arriving late. Eventually, she lost her job. Determined to support her family, she found work at a Waffle House near the hotel where they were staying, paying $400 a week for a single room.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, schools and child care centers closed. Johnette was left managing her children’s virtual learning while continuing to work. When her first stimulus check arrived, she purchased a car and moved her family to a slightly more affordable hotel. She began delivering for Postmates and DoorDash to supplement her income from her day job in a restaurant. At the time, Johnette was living in hotels, working long hours and delivering late into the night. With no child care available, her children often slept in the back seat of her car while she made deliveries. Exhausted and struggling to keep up, she began taking Adderall — a medication that was not prescribed to her — to stay awake through her double shifts. After being stopped by police during a late night delivery for DoorDash, child protective services (CPS) opened a case. The court warned that without stable housing and full-time employment, her children could be removed and placed into foster care.
In early 2021, the children’s lawyer referred her to us for support. We responded immediately, working within our ecosystem of partners to coordinate support. Our first priority was securing a safe place for the family to stay. We paid for a week of hotel accommodations and mobilized our Family Resource Center to deliver essential items — including food, hygiene supplies, clothing, blankets, air mattresses and gift cards — much of which had been donated by community partners and supporters.
Recognizing that transportation was critical to maintaining employment, we also covered Johnette’s car insurance payments for two months. These initial steps provided the stability she needed to begin planning her next move. Approximately one month from the day of the referral, Johnette experienced a severe back injury that left her unable to work. We partnered with a local agency to secure a 30-day stay in a short-term shelter where she could access medical care. However, without an income, Johnette was unable to secure permanent housing before the shelter stay ended. She returned to living in a hotel, continuing to deliver for DoorDash despite her severe back pain, because she had no other way to meet her family’s basic needs.
Although Johnette was doing everything she could to secure stable housing, after several months of an open case, the court expressed concern about the family’s frequent moves between hotels and the length of time it was taking Johnette to achieve stability. Under growing pressure from child protective services and the court, Johnette was forced to make the difficult decision to send her children to live temporarily with her mother in another state.
Over the following year, Johnette worked closely with us to address the primary barrier to housing: outstanding debt. Johnette developed a step-by-step repayment plan. She followed the plan consistently, making regular payments and steadily clearing her debts. Once her debts were resolved, she was approved for a lease on a home, and her children were reunited with her shortly thereafter.
Shortly after moving into her new apartment, Johnette’s back injury worsened, and she underwent surgery. We continued to walk alongside her during her recovery, providing rental assistance for one month, delivering prepared meals. Once medically cleared, Johnette secured employment at a restaurant in downtown Atlanta. She remained focused on rebuilding her finances and maintaining housing stability for her family. In early 2023, after two years, her child welfare case was officially closed after she successfully met all court requirements related to employment, housing and family stability.
Today, Johnette and her children are thriving. They live in a five-bedroom home, and Johnette maintains full-time employment and financial independence. Johnette recently completed our nine-month fellowship program, which focuses on leadership development, advocacy and peer support. She is now a paid apprentice within our organization and an active part of our team, helping other families navigate through their own crises and sharing her experience at local and national conferences. Her journey exemplifies not only personal resilience, but also the importance of raising up community leaders who have lived experience to drive meaningful change.
Johnette’s story demonstrates what becomes possible when families are supported through a crisis, given access to tangible resources, connected to a community of partners and empowered to lead.
