As part of the annual Press Christmas for All Campaign, we share with readers the stories of those applying for help. This is one of them.



A broken rear window, a missing car jack and a check engine light that wouldn't turn off were financial hurdles for single mom "Sierra."

Two years ago, her life changed course when she graduated from rehab and was baptized into the Christian community.

She went back to school to become a teacher and moved closer to the 9-year-old son she had lost touch with while in the throes of addiction.

Then she found out she was pregnant with a second child, and life changed again.

"My biggest challenge has been financially," Sierra said. "I worked until a week before my due date so I could save enough money for maternity leave, but soon realized I did not safe up enough."

After baby No. 2 was born, she found a job at a day care that allowed her to bring her newborn to work with her. While grateful for the work, the part-time hours meant small paychecks.

"I feel like I am barely scraping by," she said.

Sierra has stayed steady with sobriety, work and college, keeping a 3.9 GPA. She is proud to be in her son's life again and thankful for those who have helped her regain her footing in the world.

"Several years ago, I would have considered myself a lost cause," she said. "Now that couldn't be farther from the truth."

Working with St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho, Press Christmas for All and Charity Reimagined, Sierra's car was fixed to provide reliable transportation for her and her family.

"It's been really awesome," she said. "My back window was broken. To not have to worry about that is really great. I didn't know that I would ever get that fixed. I was able to pick it up in a day and I was just amazed. That was really a blessing."