GREENSBORO, N.C. — It was a regular Thursday morning for Natalie Benton.
The single mother was up early making breakfast for her two sons.
“I try to cook if I’m home and have time,” Benton said.
The single mother had spent a couple of days earlier in the week looking for a job. Laid off a couple of months earlier Benton was still looking for work.
“We are just struggling,” Benton said.
Since being laid off, Benton has had to rely on her sons more than she’d planned. One of her sons works full-time while the other is in college and has a part-time job. Both boys help with the finances and the rent.
“It’s horrible, horrible, you (as the) parent, you want to take care of them but, in this case, I need help,” Benton said.
The three of them share a two-bedroom apartment in Greensboro. Benton had always been good about paying the rent on time but admitted losing her job has put her a bit behind. She applied for some assistance from different agencies, but it took time.
“I was afraid we were going to lose our home. We had nowhere to go. I was panicked,” Benton said. “We got an eviction letter.”
At that time, Benton reached out to WFMY News 2 for some help. We put her in contact with some other organizations and suggested she call Legal Air for assistance.
“We called you guys, and you connect us right away with the right people,” Benton said.
The apartment complex also agreed to give Benton more time to pay the rent. Eventually, she was able to get some financial assistance and has since found a steady job.
“I’m eternally grateful for you guys stepping in to help out. I could not do it without you,” Benton said.
The hope is to save up some money and be able to move into a three-bedroom at some point. As for now, Benton is just glad that her rent is being paid on time and that she has a steady job.