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Eight years ago, Elizabeth Mendez was timid and unsure of herself. She lived with a fear that paralyzed her. Most everything seemed too hard to even attempt, let alone do.

“I would see something that the house needed done but I would say, ‘No, I need to wait for my husband to come and fix it,’” she said.

Then she met a family coach at the nearby Buckner Family Hope Center in Peñitas. He told her about a variety of classes at the center. One piqued her interest: A series on making and selling hair bows. That seemed like something she could do to help her family.

She went to the first session. Then the next. She got the hang of making the bows. Others began asking her questions, and she helped them come up with new designs and solutions to their problems. Before she realized it, she was helping teach the class.

Bolstered by her experience, she took other classes, including a faith and finance class where she learned how to create a budget and save money.

“The biggest thing I learned is self respect,” she said. “The classes taught me how to present myself.”

With her new confidence, Elizabeth invested herself fully into her children, home and improving herself as a person. She regularly handles issues at home and proactively takes care of projects. She volunteers at her children’s school. Her family is strong and growing stronger each day.

Soon, the family move into a new home as well. Teams working with Buckner Missions built the family a new home.

“We’re making plans for our new home,” she said. “My kids go and clean their rooms in their new home, excited [about having something new].”

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