Turner noticed that after the monthly communion service at her church, most of the loaf of specialty bread was left. She asked her pastor what happened to it after the service. He replied that it was often fed to the ducks. So Turner now asks for it. “So that’s like an $8 loaf of bread… it’s kind of funny, but it’s something we can eat.”
She is also studying for a bachelor’s degree in child psychology, which will help her get a promotion at work. In the long term, Turner wants to be a school psychologist. Here, too, she has carefully pieced together the support she needs to complete her education.
The GI Bill pays her tuition and she receives a scholarship for survivors of domestic violence. She used part of her first EITC refund to buy a computer, while her grandmother and a friend from church pitch in for her Internet connection—both necessities since her classes are online. She does her coursework mainly at night.
“There are couples from church who come over and watch the kids for free so I have time to do my homework… If I didn’t have that support from my church, there’s no way I could be going back to school,” Turner says.
She feels that God sometimes uses her as a conduit. Once her children have outgrown clothes, or if they are given toys that are not meant for children their age or too many toys, Turner passes the items along to people who need them. She says she is glad to be able to share her blessings with others.
Turner is on track to get her bachelor’s degree in two years. Her faith has helped her make it this far. “God has stepped in whenever I needed something and provided it, and I believe that everything will be all right because God takes care of us.”
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