A CityLife Community Care story - When this participant first came to Financial COACH, she had come out of an unhealthy relationship and, along with her young son, had moved back in with her parents. She was feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how she would be able to support both herself and her son. She shared that she was feeling isolated and embarrassed to be needing help. With the support of her mentor, she has gained an understanding of her expenditure and set up a budget. She was motivated to understand where her money was going and how far it needed to stretch. She finished up her studies as a mental health support worker and was able to get a casual job. She has been able to find savings, knows when to expect her bills, has set up payment plans and now sees a way forward. While she is currently casual, the goal is for her to get a permanent part time job with more structured working hours to achieve work/life balance. A housing service has supported them to move into a unit, local to her work. This has given them a new sense of freedom. She also attends a group at CLCC with her son regularly, which they are both enjoying. She is enthusiastic to work on her budget and related financial aspects as she can see her situation changing which is giving her hope - where she felt embarrassed before she is feeling strong again.