Emma moved to the Harwich area with her parents after she graduated from a New Jersey high school ten years ago. She attended Cape Cod Community College for a semester but realized that further education was not for her, at least for the foreseeable future. Soon afterwards, she got a job in a commercial kitchen and moved out on her own.
Now 28, Emma has lived with her significant other, a Cape native and former fisherman, in Harwich for the past six years. He has his own business doing home repairs and improvements. She has held various positions at Cumberland Farms, Dunkin’ Donuts but her favorite was at a Stop & Shop, where she was eventually promoted to manager and was making decent money. Unfortunately, she was let go and is now back at a previous, lesser paying, position after a job search complicated by transportation issues.
The apartment that they live in is small and they have had to keep a storage unit for furniture and sentimental family items that won’t fit in their living space, but that they don’t want to let go. With Emma’s job loss and subsequent job search, and even “grandfathered” in at a lower rate, they got five months behind in storage payments. She asked the storage unit owner if there was any help and he directed her to Lower Cape Outreach Council.
She contacted Lower Cape Outreach Council and was amazed to find that they could help her. “I am really, really appreciative for their help. It is especially hard to be young on the Cape no matter what the circumstances—alone, married, or in a relationship—and there isn’t a lot of help for younger people,’ she said, and added, “they have been so kind, and I only wish that I can give back to them someday. I hope this story will help people understand how LCOC helps all ages of people and how non-judgmental and caring they are to everyone.”