When a Key Holds the Future

Picture this: Your alarm doesn’t go off and you’re running late for an important job interview. No problem, you grab your keys and go. But what if there are no keys to grab? You’ve missed the bus and missed your job interview.

For Ruth Harbor moms, this isn’t a hypothetical scenario, it’s daily reality. When Anna’s six-month-old son spiked a fever at 2 AM, she couldn’t rush to the emergency room. Instead, she called our residential manager, who took her to the hospital. When Maria started applying for jobs, finding employers on the bus route was her first requirement.

Anna and Maria’s stories aren’t unique; they represent the daily reality for countless single mothers. These are not just inconveniences. They are barriers that trap families in poverty’s grip.

A Vicious Cycle

The cycle is vicious: unpaid fines prevent license reinstatement, no license means no car registration, and without registration, insurance becomes impossible. Without reliable transportation, families drift from crisis to crisis—adrift, unable to anchor in stability.

A study by Iowa State University researchers confirmed this reality, the lack of reliable transportation is one of the key barriers keeping low-income families in Iowa from securing or maintaining employment.

Bridging the Barrier

But here’s what changes everything: when we remove the transportation barrier, we don’t just give someone a ride. We give them back their future.

The Ruth Harbor Pathway Program recognizes that common barriers require practical solutions. By Phase 3 of the Pathway, moms are ready to step into work and community life. But if transportation remains out of reach, all the progress from Phases 1 and 2 is in jeopardy. Why? Because we know that all the job training and life skills in the world won’t matter if she can’t reliably get to work each day.

When we bridge the transportation gap, we’re not just helping someone get from point A to point B. We’re ensuring that a mother can rush her sick child to the doctor, arrive at work on time, attend parent-teacher conferences, and build the stable, connected life every family deserves.

At our Vision Dinner on November 4, you will discover how Ruth Harbor is creating new anchor points through our 2026 “Building Bridges to Stability” initiative. See how your partnership helps families move from drifting in uncertainty to being firmly anchored in hope, faith, and community. Together, we can ensure that practical barriers become stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks.

Join us as we help women succeed with Jesus as their foundation and practical solutions to common problems.

(While the stories above reflect real-life scenarios for Ruth Harbor moms, names have been changed to protect their privacy.)

Save the Date — 2025 Vision Dinner, November 4, 2025

Planning for our 2025 Vision Dinner is well underway. You won’t want to miss it! Underwriting commitments are pouring in, table hosts are being recruited, and video testimonials are being prepared. The evening will be a celebration of the unshakable hope we have in Christ and the steady faithfulness that carries Ruth Harbor’s moms, children, and staff through every season.