Tina Bracey says, "never give up!" I-CARE Does it Again

By Susie Wiberg

STATESVILLE, NC - When the rest of her high school senior class was graduating, Tina Bracey wasn’t. The next several years were bumpy and, without much family support, Tina found herself struggling. Employment was spotty, but determined Tina did obtain her GED in 2020. One of her employers allowed Tina and her three children to live in a small apartment above where she worked. But this convenience came with a price tag and Tina suddenly found herself without transportation when her car was repossessed.

A chance encounter and a conversation with a woman in a retail shop sent Tina to Hope of Mooresville where she lived for six months. It was there that she learned about I-CARE and the services provided.

“I needed support in searching for a job, obtaining housing and just learning some interview skills,” Tina said. All that support was provided by her Case Manager, Cindi Bacon.

Tina is now living in her own apartment with her three children (now 14, 13 and 7), working for Cardinal Glass in Mooresville. “I love my job,” she said. “The journey was worth it to find this job and stability for my children.”

“My advice to anyone struggling like I was just to not give up - keep striving! Don’t stop just because someone tells you NO. Stay positive, smile, and keep going because there’s nothing you can’t do!”

For information on the services I-CARE, Inc. provides, please call Shelton Moore, Family Support Services Director, at (704) 872-8141.