Meet Bria: Animal Lover and Nurse in Training
At Agape, Bria found a community who supported her education when she and her daughter were forced to flee a dangerous situation.
Bria has always had a compassionate heart for pets and for the injured or sick, which is why when she came to DFW to escape a dangerous home situation, she sought employment working with animals as a vet tech. To bring in additional finances for her small family, Bria started a pet sitting business.
Meanwhile, Bria found Agape Resource and Assistance Center, a ministry in Plano, TX that offers help to women and children who are facing situational homelessness. Agape houses and supports women and moms while they support their growth in emotional and financial stability - 90% of their clients are abuse survivors. You may remember a previous client story that featured Agape.
Bria and Jennifer from Agape
Working with organizations like Agape is a no-brainer for OnRamp DFW. When we see the amount of love and wrap-around care they provide their clients, it’s easy for us to make the decision to come alongside and help provide a needed piece of the puzzle, while also getting to share the message of God’s grace.
Living at Agape has allowed Bria to start making long-term plans, such as applying for and gaining entry into a nursing education program, including being awarded valuable grants that will help pay for the program. Bria’s long-term plans include eventually going to vet school to become a full-time vet.
Can you tell which of the self-sustainability factors at Agape we get to help with? (copied from the Agape website)
At the giveaway, Jennifer - Bria’s advocate from Agape - pulled me to the side while Tim was showing Bria her new Corolla (above) to say how thankful they were for OnRamp DFW. She went on to explain how they have skilled in-house financial counselors, job training professionals, and even childcare at Agape, but they don’t have the expertise to help clients obtain reliable and cheap transportation. And without transportation, it’s extremely difficult for their clients to keep jobs, take children to school, and make it to classes on time. She said we are the only organization she knows of in DFW who provides this service.
Though it was humbling to hear her praise, we are equally grateful for Agape and other organizations who are serving these wonderful families and who lovingly give them a hand up during a low point in their lives.
