A single mother and her 17-year-old son — a student-athlete heading into his senior year — had already been through more than their share of instability. After being forced into an emergency move when their previous landlord sold the property, they found a new home and were working hard to settle in.
Then, without warning, an $800 per month medical debt wage garnishment hit. In a single month, the foundation they had just rebuilt began to crack. June’s rent fell behind. A strict landlord deadline of July 1st was approaching. And the risk of an eviction filing — and everything that comes with it — was real.
The SENT Neighbor Advocacy team stepped in.
They sat down with the mother, assessed her full financial picture, and confirmed that the garnishment had since been fully released — meaning her $3,000 monthly income was restored and long-term stability was within reach. The mother had already done everything she could, independently paying down the vast majority of what was owed. What remained was a final gap of $500.
The team moved quickly, crafting a targeted CarePortal request to bridge that one-time shortfall. Local partners responded. The $500 was secured and paid directly to the landlord before the deadline.
The eviction filing never happened. The family stayed housed. And a young man entering the most significant year of his high school career — his senior year, his athletics, his future — gets to focus on exactly that, instead of the fear of losing his home.
This is what it means to walk beside neighbors. Not just in the easy seasons, but in the moments when the margin is razor thin and the stakes are everything.
🔗 Neighbor Advocacy Services: senttopeka.com/neighbor-advocacy