Born and raised in Anacortes, WA, Jannea Bennett feels grateful to have deep roots, a good job, and a supportive community in her beloved hometown. She and her two sons, Travis (15) and AJ (6), are fortunate to have lots of local family and friends. Jannea also had friends who worked at the Anacortes Family Center (AFC), which became a blessing the day she unexpectedly received a 5-day notice to vacate an apartment she had planned to rent. Shocked and scared, all she could think was, “How do you find a decent apartment in 5 days?”

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A year earlier, Jannea and her former partner had split up. She moved into an apartment in Mt. Vernon, but when the building changed management, it fell into serious decline. That, plus realizing after the fact they were living in a sketchy, gang-related neighborhood, led her to move in with her mom to save money for a more secure home.

“I’m a very responsible person. I’ve had a job since I was 18, paid my bills on time, and made sure my family was taken care of,” she said. “We had been staying at a 1-bedroom apartment with my mom so I could save money. I planned to take over the lease when she moved out. Then, one day, the landlord posted a notice that there were too many people in the apartment, so we had to find a place to live in 5 days!”

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Finding Hope and Help with AFC​

Jannea needed help to keep saving money and find a secure home for her family. She promptly reached out to the Anacortes Family Center, trusting its excellent reputation and proven success, hoping for quick support. “The staff is amazing,” she said. “Within a few days, they helped me sign up for AFC’s Emergency Shelter program and gave me motel vouchers so we had a place to stay until I could find an apartment.” In less than a week, a studio apartment became available in the shelter, which seemed “like a miracle.” They moved in and began taking the required classes to rebuild their self-sufficiency and save enough money to get affordable housing.

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New Friends & Support of Resilient Moms​

“I was very humbled by the residents I met at AFC. I realized that no matter the circumstances that brought us here, the AFC program and staff do a great job helping people get back on their feet,” Jannea said.

Jannea has been the office manager at a physical therapy business for over 2 years. She struggled with the requirement that her income be 3.5 times the apartments rent. She explained, “If your rent is $2000, landlords want you to make $7000 to even be considered to sign a lease.” Affordable housing is difficult to find, but after 120 days of hard work, saving money, and completing the AFC program, Jannea secured a local apartment in a rent-controlled facility.

Yes, the Bennett family’s lives took an unexpected turn when they landed at the Anacortes Family Center, but the rewards will last a lifetime. According to Jannea, she and her boys have:

·       A greater sense of appreciation and humility for everyone’s situation,

·       Intentions to take more time to choose a path when making decisions for the future,

·       Plans to give back to the AFC community by volunteering

…and for Jannea herself, the AFC team and residents did an excellent job emphasizing and reminding her that, “I am a good mom. I am strong. My kids are happy, healthy, they are fed, have a roof over their heads—we are doing good,” she said. And that is what it’s all about.