Living conditions deeply influence the well-being of children and their families. Habitat for Humanity highlights that a child’s home environment significantly affects their physical, cognitive and emotional development.

For Rachel, maintaining a safe and healthy home for her three sons — Brad (12), Brandon (11) and Shawn (10) — became a daunting challenge after the sudden loss of her husband in 2018. Grieving and overwhelmed, she struggled to cope while trying to prioritize her children’s needs.

Their home was in disrepair: a hole in the floor, ongoing issues with water and electricity, and a landlord who ignored her pleas for help. These conditions began to take a toll on her boys. Without consistent access to water, basic hygiene became difficult, raising concerns about their health and well-being.

Eventually, the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS) intervened and referred the family to Intercept for support to prevent the boys from being removed from the home.

Intercept, a program of Youth Villages, is an evidence-based, comprehensive in-home services model that keeps families together by providing support to improve their stability and well-being. Families work with a specialist when they feel overloaded with stressors like grief or financial hardships.

In the fall of 2023, Rachel and her boys were introduced to Marche Maye, a family intervention specialist with Youth Villages in Hattiesburg.

“This family was easy to work with because they were open to support,” Marche said. “The children were very polite and respectful.”

Immediately, Marche got to work on creating a safer living environment for the family. She worked with the landlord to make sure all of Rachel’s concerns were heard and addressed appropriately.

Then, Marche worked with the boys on the importance of proper hygiene, including bathing and the use of personal care products. Once the immediate physical concerns were addressed, Marche dug deeper with the family and began addressing their grief. Rachel focused on keeping her boys safe, often neglecting her own emotions.

“I tend to disconnect myself from the loss; it’s my defense mechanism,” Rachel said. “I was still so angry and sad. I would reminisce and fall into a rabbit hole.”

Marche taught Rachel how to journal her feelings. Rachel would write what she wanted to say to her late husband, and the feelings she had regarding his passing. This coping mechanism allowed her to work through emotions in a safe space.

On her final day with the family, Marche organized a celebration of life ceremony to honor Rachel’s late husband and the boys’ father. Each family member wrote him a letter, placed it inside a balloon and released it together – symbolizing their messages reaching him. It was a meaningful farewell and a final coping strategy Marche shared with the family.

Now discharged from Intercept, Rachel continues to see the positive impact the program had on her family.

“The boys are doing wonderfully, and they are really succeeding academically, which wasn’t happening before we met Marche,” Rachel said. “Brad is graduating top of his class; Shawn is on the honor roll; and Brandon didn’t miss a day of school last year.”

With the support of Intercept, Rachel and her sons repaired their home and rebuilt their foundation for a brighter future.

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