He explained that an advisor had helped him request a payment plan from the utility company rather than taking out another high-interest loan.

He had also used a small transportation grant to attend an interview at a medical supply distributor.

He had found a job.

It wasn’t glamorous, he wrote, but the hours were dependable, and he could be home when his son returned from school.

At the bottom he added: I don’t want you to think this is one of those stories where everything is fixed.

My car still needs work.