Working a steady job doesn’t always equate to making ends meet, especially if that work has a low wage. Low-wage workers frequently struggle to provide basic needs for themselves and their families, in fact over 140 million working Americans are unable to pay for housing, food, childcare, healthcare, and transportation without going into debt. Low-wage workers may turn to public benefits to provide health care, food or childcare, but what about unanticipated expenses?
Fortunately, at Our Daily Bread our social work team strives to bridge that gap by providing emergency financial assistance. While these funds are limited, to the approximately 1,200 people we assist each year they can be life-changing. For a client like Ndieme Ngom, access to these funds means stability.
We are excited to announce that today Ndieme is moving into her new home in the neighborhood of Cumminsville. After working with social worker Pamela Lewis, Ndieme was able to receive assistance with her moving expenses, costs that were outside her monthly budget. For Ndieme, paying for moving expenses would have meant not paying a utility bill or transportation for her and her 3 year old son Jamal. While Ndieme works at Happy Hearts & Bright Minds Child Care Center, her wages aren’t enough to cover unexpected expenses.
Born in New York to Senegalese immigrants, Ndieme was raised in Cincinnati and just celebrated her 26thbirthday. In the future, Ndieme plans to one day open a cultural arts center to teach children African history, heritage and culture. Ndieme says this move to her new home brings her one step closer to living her dream.