Tanya Didn’t Need Us Anymore

When Tanya first came to Family Service, she was searching for something most of us take for granted — stability.

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After moving back to Pennsylvania, Tanya found herself bouncing between relatives’ houses and unsure where to turn next. She had just been diagnosed with HIV and was recovering from the shock of that news. “Things got a little shaky,” she said. “I just wanted to get someplace on my own.”

That’s when Tanya reached out to Family Service — and for the first time in a long time, she felt she wasn’t alone.

Keith, one of our Project ONE Medical Case Managers, walked beside her every step of the way, helping her to find safe housing, connecting her to medical care, and even visiting her in the hospital after a severe diabetic episode put her in a coma. “He’s been very supportive in everything that I needed,” she said. “Always there for me.”

With time, stability, and care, Tanya began to rebuild her life. She went back to school and ultimately entered a doctoral program in education. The road wasn’t easy — she failed one of her classes multiple times before finally passing — but she never gave up. “I just kept on pounding away,” she voiced with a smile.

And then something significant happened. After years of support, Tanya graduated from our housing program, as she was earning enough to stand on her own. The very program that once helped her through her hardest days had fulfilled its mission to help her become self-sufficient.

Today, Tanya is living independently, reunited with her family, and knows her purpose. “Family Service took a lot of the stress away for me,” she explained. “They helped me focus on what mattered.”

That transformation — from fear and uncertainty to confidence and independence — is only possible because of you. When you give to Family Service, you make sure that people like Tanya have someone in their corner when life feels impossible. Your support doesn’t just provide temporary relief — it builds lasting change. It helps people find their strength, rebuild their lives, and, in time, stand on their own.

Please make your gift today. Together, we can continue walking beside people like Tanya for as long as it takes.

Mark Butler, MS

Executive Director

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