NOTCH Success Story One of the families that finished the NOTCH Program this year was a family of 3, a mother, with a 20 year old son and an18 year old daughter. They had escaped from a domestic violence situation in another state and moved with only a car load of belongings to Cary, NC because they had read a report that said Cary was one of the safest cities to live. The mother got a job through a temp agency and the son started working at a local grocery store. The daughter was a senior in high school. They got themselves established in an apartment complex in Cary. Soon thereafter, the mother lost her temporary assignment and they were not able to pay their rent. The mother was able to obtain another temporary position. They came into the office for their assessment with the Intake Coordinator in August and at that time they were one month behind on their rent and had been locked out of their apartment. Their initial budget showed a deficit of $53.00 each month. They were accepted into the program. The program paid $400.00 towards their delinquent rent. During their time in the program, the mother worked really hard with the case manager to budget the limited money they did have. The son contributed all the money he made toward the household expenses. The mother participated in three group financial education classes and the family was part of the Holiday Family Adoption Program. They utilized local food pantries to cut back on expenses and were referred to Wheels4Hope for a vehicle. The family earned a total of $600.00 in incentive payments which were applied to their electric bill and rent over the year. The mother was eventually able to turn her temporary position into a full-time, permanent position. The son got a better paying part-time job and began taking classes at a local community college. The daughter graduated from high school. When the family completed their year in the program in October 2008 their budget showed a surplus of $610.75.