ERICA’S STORY

“I felt like someone out there was really concerned about what I was going through.”

Erica has been a 2-1-1 Resource Navigator since 2016. She responds to people in need who contact United Way’s PA 2-1-1 Southwest resource service, via text and chat. Erica has a unique perspective– she knows exactly what it’s like to be in the shoes of the people she now helps.

Originally from Iowa, Erica came to Pittsburgh in 2012 in the hopes of finding better employment programs for her husband, who has a disability due to an accident with a drunk driver. Soon after the move, their daughter was born.

In early 2015, Erica lost her in-home care job. Her husband was working in several temporary positions, but they eventually fell behind on rent and were evicted from their apartment in September 2015. They were on the street with just enough money to keep their belongings in storage. The family was sleeping in the storage unit and going out during the day to look for help.

In October, a man from the Salvation Army gave Erica a 2-1-1 card. After her initial call, the 2-1-1 Resource Navigator called on a Sunday morning to follow up with Erica about the resources they had referred her to. “I don’t think I would have called those services if someone hadn’t checked up on me,” she said. “I was just focused on getting by day-to-day.”

Erica then called the resources she was given, and as a result, she and her family got into a shelter by the end of October.

Soon after, the Resource Navigator called again and referred Erica to the Career Development Center (CDC) at Jewish Family & Children’s Service so she could start looking for employment. That’s how Erica first got her temp job with United Way’s Free Tax Preparation Program. After working in that position, Erica became a Resource Navigator just like the one who had helped her so much.

“Through all of this I found more of a passion for people,” she says. “Callers are mostly working families who can’t make ends meet, and I know what it’s like to be the person calling for help. It can happen to anyone.”

Though the struggle isn’t over, Erica’s family now has stable housing, a car and have the opportunity to rectify their credit.

“Without 2-1-1, there are a lot of people who would be hopeless with nowhere to turn,” she says. “If you need help, don’t wait to call.”