More Than a Roof: How Jobs for Life and Faith & Finances Are Changing the Future for Families in Winter Haven

By Tabitha Keith, Director of Programs, Heart for Winter Haven

Every time I sit with a new Jobs for Life or Faith & Finances class, I am reminded why we do this work. Families don’t just need a roof over their heads, they need hope, dignity, and the tools to build a stable future. That’s what keeps me showing up every day at Heart for Winter Haven.

At Heart for Winter Haven, we know that ending childhood homelessness requires more than simply placing families in a home. It requires transformation, the kind that rewrites generational stories and restores hope from the inside out. That is why we do not stop at housing. We walk with families through programs designed to build stability that lasts.

Programs like Jobs for Life and Faith & Finances are at the heart of our Zero in ’30 vision, which calls us to end childhood homelessness in Winter Haven by 2030. These are not just classes. They are relationship-based journeys toward employment, financial literacy, and personal dignity.

A Roadmap to Sustainable Employment

In Jobs for Life, participants discover their God-given skills, overcome employment barriers, and prepare to re-enter the workforce with confidence. They work with mentors, called champions, to build resumes, practice interviews, and set meaningful goals. Many students come in feeling defeated and walk out prepared to lead, work, and contribute.

Take Maira, a single mom who completed Jobs for Life earlier this year. She was underemployed, discouraged, and unsure how to move forward. By the end of the eight-week course, she had secured a full-time job with benefits. She walked away with more than a paycheck, she gained a vision for her family’s future.

“I thought I just needed a job,” Maira said. “By the end of the course I not only had a job with the City, but I also walked away with a sense of security and more confidence in my ability and purpose than I’ve ever had.”

Healing Our Relationship with Money

Faith & Finances goes deeper than budgeting, though budgeting is certainly part of it. It challenges cultural messages about money and replaces them with biblical principles of stewardship, contentment, and community.

Participants earn up to $150 in class-based incentives and are invited to build an emergency fund through our Match Savings program. If they save $300 over 90 days, we match it with another $300. Many families have never had a savings account before. This is not just about money, it is about agency.

One father recently shared, “For the first time, I have something in savings. I feel secure. I don’t panic when something unexpected happens. That’s new for me.”

Relational Support That Lasts

What makes these programs unique is that they do not end when the final session closes. Graduates stay connected through follow-ups, support groups, and ongoing coaching. We are building a community, not a checklist.

Our alumni often become allies, mentors, or leaders in new cohorts. They remind us that transformation multiplies when it is relational.

Looking Ahead

As we continue our push toward Zero in ’30, Jobs for Life and Faith & Finances will remain central to our strategy. Housing provides safety. Employment, financial literacy, and community create roots.

We are inviting Winter Haven to be part of this story. Employers, mentors, donors, and volunteers all play a part. The end of childhood homelessness will not come from programs alone. It will come from a city that chooses to see every family as worthy of a future.

Thank you for walking alongside us in this work. We are grateful to be on this journey together, and we cannot wait to see the day when no child in Winter Haven experiences homelessness.