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Family rises from financial ruin to role as mentors
We first met B.J. and Nicole Thornley last February when they agreed to talk about their experiences with homelessness. The couple's trouble began when Nicole, pregnant with twins, was ordered to bed rest and forced to leave her job.
“We went from a two-income family to a one-income family overnight,” she recalled, noting that the family quickly fell behind on bills and was evicted from their Gainesville apartment about the time that Nicole delivered twin boys.
Though they were able to stay with B.J.'s family in Marshall, they were hit with a second blow when baby Micah was born with an undetected and severe facial-cranial birth defect called Goldenhar syndrome.
In intensive care for 70 days at Georgetown University Hospital, Micah required special care and his parents traveled every day to the Washington, D.C. facility.
“It was really hard for B.J. to hold on to a job because he needed so much time off,” Nicole said.
Financially, the couple continued to struggle for the next couple of years before finding meaningful assistance through the Vint Hill Transitional Housing Program.
“It's a strict program,” Nicole said. “It's not easy to say, 'okay, tell me what to do,' but when you get to a point where you can't see the end of the tunnel, you have to let someone help you.”
The program requires that participants be employed and follow a strict budget focused on paying off debt and accounting for every cent of their income. After two years in the program, the couple paid off nearly $28,000 in debt. Graduated Feb. 1 from the program, they will stay on at Vint Hill as mentors in the Good Neighbor Program, said program coordinator Annie Cato.
“The Thornleys are completely out of debt. It took a lot of hard work. They did well and followed the rules and here's the outcome. We're real proud of them, and they're proud of themselves,” said Cato, adding that as mentors they will be helpful in offering support to new program participants.
“When new people come in, they can help them with their paper work. If somebody has questions on the weekends or in the evening when there's no staff here, they can go to” Good Neighbors, Cato said.
For their part, the Thornleys are thrilled to be able to continue with the program.
“It's a chance to give back to a program that has given us so much,” Nicole said.
Good Neighbors must continue to follow the rules of the program, volunteer a minimum of 12 hours a month, and pay rent to remain at the Vint Hill facility. Good Neighbors meet monthly and plan events for program participants, Nicole said, noting that the group hopes to host an Earth Day event to beautify the property. Community game nights and outdoor activities for the summer are also on the group's agenda.
“It was such an awesome opportunity to be here. Now we have an opportunity to give back to the community. It's such an exciting experience to be able to give back,” she said. “It is a really stressful program. A lot of people don't make it through. You have to come in with the mentality that you'll do whatever you have to do. A lot of people will say ' I can't do it,' and they're out of here, but they're missing out on such a great opportunity, not just for themselves, but for their kids.”
The educational component of the Vint Hill program ? participants are required to take part in finance, parenting, health and other classes while in the program ? has opened new doors for the Thornleys. Building on the opportunity afforded them through the program, they are determined to pursue personal goals.
“We've met our financial goals, but we still have other goals we need to meet,” Nicole said.
For Nicole, that means more education. She's worked as a massage therapist for the last several years and recently took a better-paying position at Landsdowne Resort in Leesburg. Though she loves the job, Nicole said she interested in pursuing higher education.
“The kids have Medicaid, but B.J. and I don't have insurance; we can't afford it,” she said, noting that she hopes to go back to school to secure a position that will offer medical benefits and allow her to save for the couple's retirement.
Demonstrating an interest in continuing education also provides a good example for her son Corey, who is a Kettle Run High School junior, Nicole said.
Laid off in December, B.J. is also pursuing new opportunities. He is currently working side jobs to see the family through, but plans to start his own business, doing landscaping and general home-repair work.
In years past, a financial setback like B.J. losing his job could have meant real trouble for the couple, Nicole said. Having rid themselves of debt and built up a savings account, they were prepared and able to deal with the blow, she said.
That kind of financial knowledge is one of the couple's proudest accomplishments, Nicole added, noting that she's thrilled to be able to guide Corey as he grows into an adult.
He is doing well in school and has set goals ? which include a college education ? for his future, Nicole said. Talking about his plans and the best way for him to build good credit, mother and son were able to sketch out a plan for reaching those goals.
“It felt good to be knowledgeable,” she said. “We're thriving not just financially, but as a family. We're all meeting personal goals and family goals.”
Staying at Vint Hill was an ideal opportunity for the family, Nicole said.
“One of the biggest reasons is that Corey graduates next year,” she said, noting that when the family started looking at housing several months ago in anticipation of their graduation, they were quickly priced out of the area. Staying in the program will allow Corey to continue excelling and graduate with his friends.
“This is the most stable we've ever been,” Nicole said, saying that as a child her family moved “whenever the rent went up” and she changed schools often. “Corey's life has been much the same, so for him and I this has been great. This is officially home. It feels so great to say that.
“Everyone here has been such an integral part of our success. We couldn't have done it without them. We've had a few hiccups, but they're always right there to push us through it. I'm so grateful for them. I love them all.”
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