Archive for category: News

Xaire came to our program as an expecting young mother, determined to create a stable future for herself and her baby. From the moment she arrived at HPC, she embraced the challenges of young adulthood and motherhood with great maturity and focus.

She quickly adapted to the high-accountability structure of the HPC program, seamlessly balancing chores, work, and financial planning. With a strong desire to succeed, she consistently met expectations, managing deadlines and responsibilities.

Her daughter was born just before Xaire’s birthday. Despite the early delivery, Xaire adjusted with grace, demonstrating her perseverance. While in the program, she set clear financial goals, saving thousands of dollars and paying off significant debt. Rather than requesting traditional Christmas gifts, she asked for financial contributions to help build a more secure future for herself and her daughter. Her sponsors also celebrated her journey with a baby shower, providing essential items and a strong sense of support.

Beyond her financial achievements, Xaire took a major step toward career advancement by earning her phlebotomy certification. This milestone opens doors to stable job opportunities in the medical field, laying a solid foundation for long-term success.

As Xaire moves forward, she does so with financial stability, a promising career path, and the confidence that she is creating a bright future for herself and her daughter. We are incredibly proud of everything Xaire has accomplished and look forward to seeing all she achieves next!

Before coming to HPC, Kelly worked as a case manager at a different transitional housing organization, serving others while experiencing homelessness herself. When it became too much, she realized she couldn’t serve her clients as well as they needed.

I had to do uncomfortable things to accept help, but I was ready,” she said. For Kelly, the hardest part of joining the HPC program was how the budgeting would affect her son, Koi. But he, always supportive, began encouraging her. Koi would say, “Mom, you’re doing great. I love you. You’re the best mom. Thank you for doing this for me.” Kelly found that Koi’s encouragement kept her going when she felt defeated.

In moments of doubt and frustration, God proved to be bigger than fear. Kelly and her case manager have cried together, prayed together, shared meals, and strengthened each other’s faith. Through it all, Kelly’s growth at HPC has been remarkable.

During her time in the program, Kelly paid off thousands of dollars in debt and built a strong savings balance. Her perseverance and faith led to remarkable career achievements. She advanced from Animal Cruelty Investigator to Field Training Officer and now serves as Compliance Officer at her work. Though she once questioned whether she should stay in her job, trusting God’s plan led to promotion after promotion. Now, with a year under her belt and a higher income, she has set a stable foundation.

“I only trusted myself before,” Kelly reflected. “But people pushed me when I didn’t want to be pushed because they loved me. They supported me. I’m really blessed.”

“The accountability this program asks for is so small compared to the benefits. The expectations are simple, and if you commit, the results are life-changing. I could have never imagined how much this program would do for me. The support has been outstanding. But I had to do the work. If you give your all, they will give you their all—that’s 100% true.”

Koi, who has been a steady support for his mother, shared, “I just want to say thank you for helping us on this journey. It was really, really cool to have everyone with us.”

In June 2024, Raymond joined the HPC program after a challenging separation from his ex-wife. During this period, he lost secure housing and spent six months living out of his car. Despite these difficulties, he was determined to take the necessary steps to rebuild his life.

Working in housekeeping at North Kansas City Hospital, Raymond applied his strong work ethic to overcome his significant financial hurdles. During his time in the HPC program, he paid off thousands of dollars in debt, including a TitleMax loan, IRS payments, and medical bills. On top of that, he managed to save enough income to become self-sufficient — a reflection of his exceptional budgeting skills and discipline.

Having stable housing also allowed Raymond to prioritize his health. He underwent a medical procedure and has achieved a remarkable milestone: he is no longer dependent on insulin shots, a breakthrough he has maintained for over a month.

Beyond his financial and health achievements, Raymond is a devoted father to his three daughters. His love for them fuels his commitment to maintaining a stable and promising future.

When Ethan was just 15, his world turned upside down. His family unraveled—his stepmom left, his father went to prison, and both of his grandparents passed away within a short time. Then, his uncle was incarcerated as well.

With no stable home, Ethan found himself moving between different living situations—first with a family friend, then with a coworker, sharing a cramped trailer with his brother. Getting to work and school became a constant struggle.

That’s when a social worker stepped in and introduced Ethan to Hillcrest. Ethan and his brother joined the Hillcrest program, and his life began to change. While at Hillcrest, Ethan worked hard and met a community of people who cared about him, including his apartment sponsors, who taught him how to cook—a skill he treasures today.

While in the program, Ethan was able to earn his driver’s license and purchase his first car. Additionally, a generous donor, wanting to support someone in the trades, awarded Ethan a scholarship to help him launch a career in HVAC. With this opportunity, Ethan’s path forward became clear.

Today, Ethan is a homeowner, has a full-time job, and has welcomed his brother to live with him. He’s proud of the life he’s built, comfortable being himself, and incredibly grateful for the support and opportunities.

Ethan was our 2024 Gala success story feature and we could not be more proud of all that he has accomplished! 

Shirley and her son joined our program in March 2024.

Originally from Africa, Shirley faced the devastation of war in 2020 when gunfire and bombings suddenly erupted during a training session for her job. Forced to evacuate, Shirley made the brave decision to leave behind the war and poverty in search of a better life for herself and her son. In 2020, she packed up their belongings and moved to the United States, determined to build a brighter future.

When Shirley first entered HPC, she shared that she had hoped for strong support from her family living in the U.S. However, she soon realized that they didn’t share her drive to improve her life. When she expressed her desire to pursue education and better opportunities, they questioned her ambitions. Undeterred, she took matters into her own hands.

Shirley was accepted into our program at HPC and the day she moved into her apartment was a heartfelt moment. As she walked through the space, she described herself as overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. When she reached her son’s room, she noticed a toy kitchen left behind by the previous participant. Overcome with emotion, she fell to her knees and asked, “How did you know?” Her case manager, puzzled, asked, “Know what?” Shirley explained that her son had been begging for a toy kitchen, and in that moment, God had provided exactly what they needed. Shirley enrolled in driving lessons, earned her driver’s license, and bought a car.

Now, Shirley’s son is just as active and determined as his mother. Going into second grade, he plays soccer and basketball, takes drum and piano lessons, and practices taekwondo. Shirley, despite working two jobs in healthcare, ensures his participation in all these activities.

Through hard work and determination, Shirley has paid off over $3,000 in debt and is now completely debt-free. Shirley left HPC with a healthy savings account, positioning herself and her son for a stable and secure future.

At HPC Graduation, Shirley shared her heartfelt thanks, saying, “I just want to thank Hillcrest and everyone here because I’ve learned a lot. The food—I didn’t know I could eat it because in Africa we didn’t eat most of the food. Here, I ate food, met new people, shared ideas. With the life skills, I’ve been able to express myself a little bit. I was so quiet. I’ve learned the cleaning and everything is good. It makes things just easy. I’m happy because it was so stressful. Since I came in, I’ve been able to decide for myself what I want to do and how to move forward. I’ve gotten a new family. I’m so grateful. I used to not know what we were going to eat. I’m so grateful, thank you so much.”