For Shanetta, NAZ is family. With four scholars under age six, including twins, Shanetta and her family have been with NAZ for four years. And 2020 was especially hard, just as it was for so many people. In addition to the pandemic, Shanetta lost her sister in April of 2020. “It’s been a lot. Too much. A lot of ups and downs,” Shanetta shared.
“With the pandemic, you can’t move how you want to, so you sit in your house overwhelmed with a lot of things. But overall, each day is getting better — and I love my NAZ family. I wouldn’t trade them for the world,” she said.
"I read to my kids every night — I’m able to do that because I have all the support I need through NAZ. They’re always here, no matter what."
Shanetta appreciated the food, cash gift cards, laptops, and headphones NAZ provided during the pandemic, but she found the literacy tutoring for her scholars to be the most valuable resource. She was surprised by how much better her son’s reading and writing became with outside support.
"While it’s been a really hard year, right now everything is on track, and it probably wouldn’t be without NAZ," Shanetta shared. “I read to my kids every night — I’m able to do that because I have all the support I need through NAZ. They’re always here, no matter what."
Shanetta’s hopes are clear: "Moving forward, I want to continue to create a safe and comfortable home for my kids and a strong connection to our NAZ family."