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MounDs View COMMUNITY SUPPORT CENTER (CSC) Success Stories: Ronda's Story Ronda, a single mother with a teenage son, was very distraught the day she was brought to the CSC by one of our Mounds View pastors. She was in need of help with her rent. She had been attending school to get her nursing degree, but had experienced a health set -back that had caused her current financial hardship, and delayed her plan of taking her RN exam. She worked as a personal care attendant and had lived with her son in her current residence for over so years, and this had been the first time that she was unable to pay her rent. The CSC coordinator referred Ronda to CEAP, which was able to help with a portion of the rent if the remaining amount of approximately SSso could be found. Thanks to contributions from GracePoint, Messiah, and Abiding Saviorthe CSC coordinator was able to guarantee the landlord the balance and the issue was resolved, and an eviction was prevented. Connie's Story A Mounds View faith partner referred Connie to the Community Support Center for help with her rent. Connie, who is severely disabled due to a back injury, had begun to attend the church on Sundays. She had recently been pushed down and robbed in North Minneapolis, immediately after cashing her disability payment. Because she walks with a walker, she was an easytarget for her assailants. A witness called the police, who came to the scene, but Connie was told by the police that because neither she nor the witness could describe the attackers and because cash was stolen, which couldn't be traced, there was not much they could do. Connie relies on public transportation, which is difficult for her due to her mobility issues. The CSC s -stop service really was a benefit for her as it prevented her from having to make multiple trips to resolve the problem. The CSC social worker contacted three local churches regarding the rent. All three pledged financial amounts to help resolve the issue. The CSC social worker also communicated with and guar- anteed payment with the landlord. Due to the coordination of services available at the CSC, and contributions from GracePoint, Messiah Lutheran and Christ the King, Connie was able to secure her rent, avoid eviction and avert home- lessness. Amy's Story Amy was referred to the CSC by the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf. She had lost herjob z months prior to that, and had re- ceived no income since then because her unemployment benefits had been delayed. She had been unable to pay her Xcel Energy bill and her rent. She was very worried about the situation, as she had z children and was expecting a third. She brought with her an Xcel disconnect notice and a statement of nearly Sgoo due in rent, with an eviction imminent. Because of prior use, she was not eligible for emergency assistance or CEAP rental assistance. The CSC contacted a local church and coordinated a response that included contributions from the CSC, the church, and Amy herself: The CSC was able to pay the Xcel bill with Bremer Flex funds, Amy herself was able to make a payment of $600 towards her rent now that her unemployment payments were finally dispersed, and Christ the King helped with the rest of the rent amount. Due to this 3 -way partnership, the family situation was stabilized, and an eviction and utility shut-off prevent- ed. The CSC social worker had given Amy several job search resources, and now that her housing crisis has been re- solved, Amy is able to focus on her employment search.