At just 17, Jessica Habermehl joined the Navy and was assigned to a position in Washington DC as a communications specialist. Months later she got married, and at age 19 had a baby. “My husband was an addict; the relationship became abusive,” she painfully recalls. And when Jessica developed post-partum depression, the Navy said she couldn’t keep her assigned job. “They gave me the opportunity to separate, and so I left and returned home.”

Back home, a struggling single mom, Jessica went for a drive in her car to escape her world for a bit. “I was driving over the speed limit, skidded on the wet roads, slammed on the brakes, and went flying over a creek.” It was two weeks before Jessica could walk again.

A single mom, no car, no job, she contacted Easterseals Redwood for help.

There, Job Developer Sean Rohrer learned of an opening at a Kentucky career center. Jessica would be perfect for it. She interviewed and got the job. To help her out until her income stabilized, Easterseals Redwood arranged for access to a food bank, a full gas tank, and other necessities. “They saved my life,” she says.

Jessica’s children became her motivation to work hard. “I couldn’t let my kids see me go down a rabbit hole. I wanted them to have a better life than the one I originally had.” With the help of Easterseals Redwood, her wish became her reality.