Women earn about 22% less than men for the same work. A Dallas nonprofit is tackling the pay gap and its lasting impact on families. NBC 5’s Noelle Walker has the story.
When Angel and her 4-year-old son Jaleel moved into their apartment this past week at Interfaith Family Services in Dallas, she had a sigh of relief.
"So we came and we were in hotels for a little while and trying to just find, like, stability," Angel said. "I wanted a fresh start and I wanted to leave my hometown."
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WATCH HEREAngel and Jaleel hadn't had a stable home for a while, moving around, trying to find work. At the nonprofit Interfaith, they have their own furnished apartment that comes stocked with food and toys.
"You can almost physically see the weight lift off of her shoulders when she walks into a fully furnished apartment that is equipped with groceries and toiletries and toys," Williams said. "There's just this overwhelming feeling of peace and often joy that she's experiencing, but most overwhelmingly is relief, and that's a rewarding thing to be able to provide for a hard-working mom that's hit on hard times."
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SIGN UP Williams said 93% of the clients at Interfaith are single moms like Angel, a demographic that is most at risk of becoming homeless.
"Such a blessing! Because it's not so stressful thinking, like, what are we gonna do this day, or where are we gonna go the next day," Angel said. "So that is, like, so beautiful and I'm so grateful!"
Clients at Interfaith get job training, interview coaching and free child care while they are looking for work. The goal is to find a job that pays a living wage.
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"So a job in and of itself is not adequate for a parent," Williams explained. "A parent needs a job that has adequate wages, and the appropriate hours, and the appropriate benefits, so that she and her children can live sufficiently."
Once clients find work, they pay 40% of their "rent" at Interfaith. That money is returned to them when they graduate in six to nine months and are ready to move to their own place. Clients also get to take the furniture from their apartments to their new homes.
"When you help a mom in particular, it not only helps her, but it ensures that her children have the ability to secure a more stable future," Williams said.
Ending the cycle of poverty is the goal.
"This is, like, such a beautiful blessing cause it really does make it able for me to do the things," Angel said.
