For South Lake Cares, helping a neighbor often begins with meeting an immediate need. For Andrea, that first connection became part of a journey toward safety and independence for herself and her young son.
When South Lake Cares met Andrea through its Buses n’ Backpacks program in 2023, she was navigating abuse and working to build a life free from violence. The team followed up with a simple text offering additional support.
What began with food grew into a trusted relationship.
South Lake Cares kept showing up, week after week. Through consistent, compassionate support, Andrea began to see that she had people she could turn to. The team helped connect her with conversational English classes, cooking lessons and counseling, while supporting her efforts to find safer housing and better employment.
Over time, Andrea felt safe enough to share more of her story, including that she had survived trafficking. South Lake Cares walked alongside her as she took steps toward greater safety and stability, helping her navigate the practical barriers that can make starting over so difficult: documents, a driver’s license, transportation and steady work.
Andrea brought determination to every step. She worked long days, embraced opportunities to learn and continued building a future for herself and her son.
By the end of 2024, she had reached a safe house. A trusted South Lake Cares contact in Tampa later helped connect her with housing and employment, opening the door to greater independence.
Today, Andrea and her son are safe. She is employed and living in an apartment of her own. She has found a Spanish-speaking church with a strong children’s ministry and is connecting with local resources as she continues moving forward.
Her progress reflects both her own courage and the care of a team that understood trust takes time.
At the Live Well Foundation of South Lake, we are proud to support South Lake Cares and its commitment to walking alongside neighbors through difficult circumstances. Andrea’s story shows how meeting a basic need can open the door to a relationship, and how that relationship can help someone find a path toward lasting stability.
It started with a bag of food. South Lake Cares kept showing up.