thrivelightsFor an immigrant parent struggling with transportation, income, and credit, Thrive Lights became a turning point. By focusing on priorities, they gained reliable work, savings, and confidence in the future.
Building Stability and Hope in Michigan
A participant originally from Uruguay lives in Michigan with their young daughter, who has been part of the Telamon program for three years. The past year became a turning point in their lives. When their car broke down, transportation became a daily challenge. They struggled with food shortages, limited income, and the emotional weight of feeling alone in a new country.
Daily Struggles
When they completed their Thrive Lights (locally called Aspire) assessment, the picture was clear. The indicator “we have enough income” was yellow, reflecting how their short work hours were holding them back. Because they had to leave work to drop off and pick up their daughter, they were limited to six hours or less each day, and the loss of income became one of their top priorities.
The indicator “we have good credit” was red. Like many immigrants, they had no established credit history, which made future dreams, like buying an apartment, feel impossible. Alongside these challenges, they were navigating legal issues, depression, and isolation without family nearby.
The Thrive Lights process helped them identify these priorities and see that improving income and building credit would be key to moving forward.
Choosing Priorities
With their priorities set, the participant began to act. The Family Services Specialist used the Thrive Lights results to connect them to the right resources and encouragement. MIWORKS helped them secure reliable transportation, and food assistance programs freed up space in their budget to focus on other goals.
Equipped with this support, they were able to make specific changes. For income, they spoke with their supervisor about wanting more responsibility. This conversation led to a new role as a machine operator, with full shifts of eight hours or more. For credit, they followed through on a plan to visit a bank and apply for a secured credit card. They have now managed it carefully for three months, determined to build good credit without falling into debt.
Visible Progress
When they looked back at their follow-up assessment, the difference was visible. Income had shifted from yellow to green, and credit from red to green. The small steps added up to a big change: they had reliable transportation, steady income, and their first steps toward building credit.
Most importantly, they felt more confident about their future. With the basics in place, they could now set new goals, including applying for legal permanent residency.
Looking Ahead with Confidence
For this family, Thrive Lights was more than a survey. It gave them a mirror to see both their struggles and their strengths, to choose what mattered most, and to follow through with clear goals.
About Telamon | TRC
Telamon | TRC empowers families and disrupts the cycle of poverty by helping individuals build educational foundations, gain career skills, strengthen financial management, and secure affordable housing. With programs across multiple states, including Head Start early childhood education, workforce and career training, and housing and financial empowerment, Telamon partners with communities to create opportunities for families to thrive and build lasting legacies of success and well-being.