When I enrolled in the Maine Housing ReStart program, my family self-sufficiency coordinator suggested New Ventures Maine for classes about money management and self-employment.

ReStart is my five-year journey towards independence from all assistance programs. I came into the program when my family moved back to Maine just before the COVID pandemic. We found ourselves in a family shelter and it took eight months to get a housing voucher and find an apartment. We never want to end up homeless again.

I started with an Exploring Self-Employment workshop, identifying what I have to work with, what I need to work on, and what I want to do for the rest of my life. It changed everything!

I took twelve classes through NVME over four months. After taking the Budgeting Basics workshop I began tracking every penny in and out of my life and adjusting my budget accordingly. In a Matched Savings Information Session, I learned about the Rainy Day Savings Program, which I eventually qualified for and completed in the months to follow. I combined my savings and the match to create an interest-bearing CD. Every four months I will add to it and reinvest until I need it.

During the My Money Works class I was able to put all my knowledge into action and began building my financial standing. I saved enough to secure a credit card, which earned me a FICO score with a good rating for the first time in my life. I also started an emergency fund that will continue to grow on its own.

The Building Confidence class was where I learned new tools like SMART goals and the benefits of daily routines like yoga, affirmations, and visualization.

The greatest gift from these classes was stepping outside my comfort zone to see what I can really do. I now have a clear picture of my financial life and the confidence I need to pursue my goals and keep dreaming up new ones. New Ventures Maine helped me see the person I want to be for the rest of my life and gave me the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make a difference in the world.

We want land of our own to rebuild our community garden after it was destroyed by flooding. We want to grow a bounty of great food to share with our community. Our supporters helped us recover from addiction and trauma and that motivates us to share our success.

I recently accepted a volunteer position at The Larry Labonte Recovery Center and I officially joined the Maine Recovery Advocacy Project (ME-RAP) on their committee of listeners and speakers. I want to help others in recovery attain self-sufficiency and gain hope for the future.