Tangela F

Child(ren): Asiya, 1 and a newborn

Issues: Food and Hunger, Health, Environment, Drugs, Violence and Trauma, Family, Childhood, Breaking the Cycle

"Everything is not as good as it looks… It might look like we're not struggling on the outside but we really are. And stuff is really hard for us. Everybody's like, 'You're lucky, he takes care of his daughter.' He does that and I’m happy that he does that, but sometimes there are things that he can’t get for her that we need for her."

See Tangela featured in a CNN Money Video on what it's like to raise a family with food insecurity.

See Tangela featured in a second CNN Money video on the importance of employment.

See Tangela featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer

Tangela is twenty and the mother a 2 year old daughter and an infant son. Her mother battled a drug addiction throughout most of Tangela’s childhood, and Tangela was bounced around to several different homes while her mother struggled to get clean. Unfortunately, shortly after Tangela’s mother became clean and a positive influence in Tangela’s life, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and passed away soon after. Despite all of this upset in her life, Tangela was able to graduate high school, and she is now applying to a CNA program through Welfare, in hopes of eventually becoming a nurse. Tangela is currently unemployed and would like to get a job—any job—but can’t find any place that will hire her without any experience.

She and Asiya live in a small studio apartment in North Philadelphia. Tangela doesn’t like her neighborhood and is frightened by the crime and drug use outside her door. She would like to move to a better neighborhood but for now this apartment is all that Tangela can afford with her cash assistance. Thieves recently broke into her apartment while she was away, and now Tangela sleeps with a box cutter next to her bed, scared that they will come back while she is home with Asiya.

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Tangela F

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