Featured Story, October 2022

Tami enrolled with Families Forward in South Paris in 2017. Since that time, she has held a variety of jobs, taken some
college courses, and faced many significant challenges. During the pandemic, she struggled with finding suitable childcare for one of her children who experiences behavioral issues, so she decided to take college classes from home. Unfortunately, Tami had to drop out of classes and move into a homeless shelter with her children due to domestic violence. Once she had settled in a new apartment, Tami met with the staff and decided that she wanted to work with children. They connected her with the local school department where she later attended a substitute teacher training session. She told staff that she loved the training, and she started working as a Substitute Teacher and Education Technician at the end of the 2021 school year.

At a meeting with staff, Tami shared that she had always felt uncomfortable about her teeth and masking during the pandemic had made it easier for her. They helped her start the process of getting dentures and she was fitted for immediate dentures to be used after her surgical procedures. Not long afterward, Tami and her children lost their apartment and all their belongings including her dentures in a fire. The Red Cross helped the family and provided some financial assistance toward her new dentures. Tami contacted staff because she was unable to cover the remaining balance. Staff worked with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and her dental provider and arranged to get the balance covered.

Tami was thrilled to send us a photo of her new smile with the following message:

“I will never be able to find the words to thank you enough for getting me through this! I already feel like a whole new person and really couldn’t be happier! I truly appreciate it so much! It really is life changing.”