Success Stories

Three years ago, Jessica packed her kids’ things and made her way to the homeless shelter, taking the brave step to leave her husband. He was a meth user, abused her, frequently cheated on her, and destroyed everything they had. When he left her stranded at the hospital after she had delivered their third baby, that was rock bottom. Boosted by Support At that breaking point, a friend introduced Jessica to Live & Learn. Her Client Coordinator encouraged her and helped her work on goals for schooling and employment. She helped Jessica renew her Certified Nursing Assistant license and gave

As a young girl, MG dreamed of growing up to be a doctor. She wanted to be the first in her family to go to college. A real career, and one that made a difference in people’s lives. MG is smart, diligent, and kind. Yet, despite her several great qualities, the path to reaching her dream would not be smooth. Growing up in Mesa, Arizona, MG was the eldest of five children in an abusive family. Her father was physically violent towards her mother, but the family depended on him to help financially and her mother could not leave. “Finally,”

Ashley grew up in Phoenix. She graduated high school and started working, but she felt aimless. Though she is a smart and determined young woman of great potential, she did not have anyone who could show her how to go to college, pursue a career, or follow her dreams. “I was feeling lost. I was working, but I wasn’t headed anywhere. I wanted to go back to school, but I didn’t know how,” she remembers. “I had no idea what to do.” Then, in 2022, Ashley was accepted into Year Up AZ. Year UP offers a one-year, intense career training

At 28 years old, Jany found herself trapped in the cycle of abuse and poverty that her mother and her grandmother had experienced before her. She was determined to break the cycle for her two young daughters, despite the risks. Jany had tried to leave her abusive husband once, before she was a mother. However, she had been unable to support herself and ended up homeless. Eventually, she returned to her husband because she had nowhere else to go. As time passed, her husband’s abuse escalated to the point that Jany feared for her and her daughters’ lives. One day,

“I have had a hard life. It made me want to be the person who can help others.” N. wanted a career in the medical field for as long as she can remember. She and her family have endured great hardship due to political and international events. Yet, rather than turning to anger or despair, these experiences inspired great compassion and selflessness in N. When she joined Live & Learn in 2017, N. was finally able to fulfill her dream. In 1988, when N. was just seven years old, her family was deported from their war-torn country to the USSR.

I was addicted for a really long time. I’ve made mistakes, and no one else is to blame for my decisions. But now, I show my kids that I’m here today. I’m not defined by my past. Magen embodies resiliency. Her addiction took everything from her, until the day she decided that enough was enough. With the support of Live & Learn, she came back from a place of despair to a place of hope and purpose. At just 15 years old, Magen’s struggle with addiction began. Alcohol, weed, then harder drugs became a means of self-medicating the feelings of

Emma is a fiercely determined young woman. With Live & Learn’s support, she has found success at YearUp AZ, the Maricopa Community Colleges, and Bank of America. Her hard work has brought her from a life of difficulty to a place of stability, self-sufficiency, and hope. Emma and her siblings grew up in Phoenix, raised by a single mother. “Growing up, things were hard,” Emma reflects. In high school, she devoted herself to her schoolwork with great drive and determination. She studied and worked hard, and she succeeded. After graduation, Emma went to work, with her same drive and determination.

Amanda was pregnant and homeless when a friend referred to Live & Learn in October 2020. By December, she had found a part-time job and started a Medical Assistant Certification program. She was working hard to make sure she could provide stability to her baby once he came. However, Amanda experienced food insecurity and high stress during the first six months of her pregnancy. Now, she was putting in long days and grueling commutes by public transportation. Her body was struggling as she entered her third trimester. In January, her doctor ordered her on bed rest. She had to take