Jasmine’s Case Story

When a company closes its doors, it doesn’t just end employment—it unravels a carefully constructed financial equilibrium that many working families maintain through multiple jobs and precise budgeting. For Jasmine*, this delicate balance collapsed with just one week’s notice.

The Sudden Shift

Jasmine had crafted a sustainable routine working two jobs while raising her children. This arrangement wasn’t about building savings or getting ahead—it was the minimum needed to cover essential expenses month to month. When one employer abruptly shut down, giving employees just a week’s notice, her carefully calibrated financial stability immediately began to fracture.

Without a robust support network to fall back on, Jasmine faced a predicament common to many single parents: the need to find replacement income that aligned with her children’s school hours. This timing restriction severely limited her employment options during the critical 9-5 window when job interviews and onboarding typically occur.

The Compounding Challenge

Jasmine had identified a promising solution—driving for rideshare or delivery services would provide both the income and flexibility she needed to care for her children while maintaining financial stability. However, this option remained just out of reach due to two interrelated problems: her car needed repairs to meet rideshare safety standards, and she had fallen behind on car payments.

“I would have had to figure out another way to make money without being able to use my car,” Jasmine explained, highlighting the transportation challenges that further complicated her situation.

This created a classic catch-22 situation: without the vehicle repairs, she couldn’t access flexible employment opportunities, but without additional income, she couldn’t afford the necessary repairs. As the situation deteriorated, Jasmine faced increasingly limited options.

“I may have to take out a loan I cannot pay back,” she acknowledged, recognizing how short-term financial solutions often create longer-term financial instability for families already operating at the margins.

Breaking the Cycle

When Footbridge learned of Jasmine’s situation, they recognized the opportunity to convert a temporary setback into a pathway toward greater stability. By providing $1,947.34 to cover both car repairs and past-due payments, they addressed both immediate needs and created conditions for sustainable recovery.

This intervention did more than just preserve Jasmine’s transportation—it enabled access to flexible earning opportunities that aligned with her family responsibilities. The repairs made her vehicle compliant with rideshare requirements, creating a path to establish her own work schedule, increase her income, and ensure safe transportation for her children to and from school and daycare.

“My car is back in safety regulations and I can do rideshare to make more money,” Jasmine shared.

The Bigger Picture

Jasmine’s experience illustrates how quickly employment disruptions can destabilize a family’s foundation, particularly for those without substantial savings or support networks. Her story also demonstrates how targeted assistance at critical moments can prevent a cascade of financial consequences.

When timely, targeted assistance addresses the right barriers, it creates more than temporary relief—it preserves pathways to financial independence that benefit the entire family. her degree and securing more stable employment. Her case illustrates how preserving mobility often preserves opportunity, allowing families to continue pursuing long-term goals despite unexpected setbacks.

*This name has been changed for privacy reasons.