A Step to Your Future: Favour’s journey on the Pathway of Hope

Favour had a lifetime of experience as a registered nurse (RN) in Germany and her home country of Nigeria. But when she moved with her children to Washington to be closer to extended family, her overseas nursing license was no longer valid. 

She and her kids were living with family while she worked to pass the tests to work as an RN in the U.S.—until they were evicted by the landlord for exceeding the maximum capacity of their unit.

Suddenly, her problems began to mount as Favour found herself unhoused, without the certification to work, and not enough money to pay for the RN tests. Eventually, she visited The Salvation Army for food assistance, but found so much more. 

She met Angie Escoto, a case manager at The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope program. Angie walked alongside her each step of the way, and after two years of hard work, Favour is now a working RN in the Seattle area. Plus, she and her kids have their own apartment—and they’re thriving.

Below is a transcript of the video edited for readability.

Favour: So I was sitting down, like, begging for food. But emotionally, I was dealing with myself. Is that how my life will be? She pulled me out. And that was how my story started.

I’ve been a nurse for almost 22 years. I did nursing in Nigeria and also in Germany. 

Nobody leaves our home country happy. It wasn’t easy for me and my family, but when the reality comes and you, have to like, “How do I do this?” “How do I figure it out?” “How do I make it happen?” And not just you alone, you have your family with you.

It came to a point that I needed assistance. I was given direction to go to Salvation Army. I knew them as a church, but I never knew that they give food and they have other resources.

I lined up and wanted to collect food, like every other person. I was carrying a lot of my things, I was carrying my book to study as a registered nurse. Got my number, sat down. I was looking at the people that were coming in over there and… …and looking at the picture of my life,  and I started crying.

“Why is it going this way?” “What should I do?” “How do I go about this?” A lot of things were popping up in my mind. As tears were running out of my eyes, somebody came out of a closed door by me and said, “Excuse me, can I talk to you?” Then that was it.

That was how I met Miss Angie, who is like…an angel. 

Angie Escoto: We made eye contact, she looked at me and smiled, but I could see just the sadness in her eyes. And we talked and, she had so much going on.

She was living with a relative. They were now over the amount of people that were able to be in that unit. The landlord was like, “You’ve brought all these people, they have to go.” They were homeless. And she really didn’t know, like, “What are we doing next?” 

Favour: And she was like, “Yes, we are here to help.” I was happy leaving her office, but it didn’t end there.

Miss Angie kept calling. “How is things going?” She was following me one day at a time. In every bit of my, of my struggle. Sometimes they will give me food, and not forgetting I have children that also need my help.

She extended a call to me. “There is something going on, they call it ‘Pathway of Hope.'” 

Angie Escoto: It was just, go, go, go from there.

Kierstyn Dean: Salvation Army is known for food pantries, they’re known for shelters, not necessarily their case management programs. What we have found is the relationship with the case manager is priority. That one-on-one time, all the hours we put into our families is 100% worth it. We are fully invested into these families, and that’s where we want to be. 

Captain James Parks: Pathway of Hope is specific towards families or individuals with children, right? And it’s trying to get them out of those crises into more of a stable and sustainable life.

Pathway of Hope does help to meet the need wherever they’re at, and comes alongside each family and tailors our program to meet whatever that need is, and really set goals and then walking through that program to complete them. 

Angie Escoto: So, the first goal was to get all her credentials transferred over so that she could go back into that field. There was kind of a long process, right, she had to go through and do board exam testing again. 

Favour: They took it upon their shoulders and paid for it. Upon all the hassles, the problems that we were getting on registering, they followed me through and made sure that I registered for it. Which I don’t even have the money to. 

Captain James Parks: Pathway of Hope gave her an opportunity to make an impactful change in her life, just by providing her the tools of paying for a test for her, right? 

Favour: And I took that exam, God being so faithful, I passed it. And, they didn’t let my hands fall. They are still there. Just like Aaron, who held the hands of Moses, when they were facing the fight. Pathway of Hope, they never let go. And God, being so faithful in his word, where I am today, to be one that can be able to work again as a registered nurse.

Angie Escoto: Favour has gone through so much. And, through every single encounter, she has always been positive. I pray for most of our clients, right, but she was praying for me. And so just to see her strength, not just in the Lord, just her strength in herself, and in her ability to grow.

Favour: My children are also happy. They are no longer thinking, “Oh, what are we doing?” 

Angie Escoto: She has really, really worked hard for them. And they’re involved in school now, They’re involved in sports and activities. So they have all grown immensely, individually and as a family.

So we are officially now at two years, at the end of her program. She just got hired on at a nursing facility. And so she is doing amazing. I’m very excited that she will be graduating. 

Kierstyn Dean: Just because she’s graduating, doesn’t mean it stops there. We will continue to support her. We call it the second phase of Pathway of Hope. So at three months, six months, and 12 months, Angie will actually reach back out to her and have a case management appointment with her. We want to follow them through, to see them be successful. 

Captain James Parks: I think to see somebody have a success out of the programs that are offered with us  at the Salvation Army, it really just brings hope to our life that we’re doing the right thing, that we’re being good stewards of what God has entrusted us with.

Favour: I’m grateful for [how] God has used Mrs. Angie, through the Salvation Army, and the Pathway of Hope, to do in my life and in my family. I would say it’s a step to your future.

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