LaShundra – Chicago
LaShundra was homeschooling her two children Y’Isreal and Hannah, going through a contentious divorce, and struggling to gain financial independence when she learned of LIFT.
When she first met with her LIFT coach, Samantha, LaShundra’s biggest goals were regaining financial freedom for herself, paying off her debt, and helping build her children’s finances for them to pursue their future dreams, whatever they may be. LaShundra sang the praises of Samantha for helping her reconcile unresolved trauma and helping her find resources and information when she needed it the most.
“Bridging from the chaos of the mental and emotional abuse to the peace and the calm of knowing I can just focus on my two little children and be a great parent to give us a happy life was eye-opening.”
LaShundra also tapped into Samantha’s background as an education professional to learn about homeschooling communities to engage with and places to find affordable learning materials. “I have four bookshelves full of books for my kids now. We can go on field trips with other families. And if I don’t know algebra or trigonometry, I can find someone to help teach my kids.”
But LaShundra doesn’t just excel in teaching her kids academics; she’s also teaching them useful life skills. “I can’t control what happens when they leave my house, but they know what to expect here and I can arm them with their own boundaries.”
She models healthy communication, financial responsibility by meeting her saving goals and investing her money, and, above all else, kindness towards others.
“Children learn through example; they latch onto actions more than words. By being my natural self, I hope to ingrain in them the kindness they should have in all things and cultivate that bond for family.”
Moving forward, LaShundra hopes to teach her children more about entrepreneurship and financial literacy by helping them open and run their own Etsy shops. She also wants to keep building their emergency savings. “I want them to be happy, whatever that looks like, and make sure they have some fall-back money just in case they have the rug pulled out from under them.”
It has been a long walk over troubled waters, but LaShundra is proud of everything she has learned. “I want my children to see a strong and kind person. I’m going to continue to be me.”
Read more stories like LaShundra’s and learn more about LIFT’s work in our latest Annual Report.