Building Stability, One Step at a Time
Melissa is showing her children what it means to face challenges with resilience and peace.
Searching for Stability
When newly single mother of four, Melissa Studer, first heard about Birch Community Services, she wasn’t sure whether the program applied to her. “It’s not like we don’t have money. It’s just that money is really tight.” Becoming the family’s sole provider brought a lot of anxiety, and Melissa had begun looking for ways to create more stability.
At a women’s event where Suzanne Birch, Founder and Executive Director of BCS, was the keynote speaker, Melissa realized Birch could offer the kind of support her family needed. “I just started crying,” she recalls.
As she re-entered the workforce, Melissa decided to pursue a career in massage therapy because it offered both the security and flexibility her family needed. She saved enough to pay the $1,000 school deposit but wasn’t sure how she would cover the rest of the tuition.
More Than Groceries
At first glance, Birch looks like a food program. Shelves of pantry staples and fresh produce line the warehouse floor. For Melissa, those groceries are only part of the story. “Birch isn’t just giving me food,” she explains. “It’s giving me stability and hope. The money I save on groceries goes straight into paying tuition and building an emergency fund.”
Melissa wasted no time in taking advantage of the financial literacy classes BCS offers, attending them together with her teenage son. They began learning practical steps to manage money as a family and to plan for his college future.
Building a Family Vision
“I knew God would provide, but I didn’t know how. And suddenly it clicked—this was the provision.”
Melissa’s Family Vision centers around independence, resilience, and legacy—values she lives out daily and that contribute to her family’s growing stability. Her goals include building financial independence, saving for a reliable vehicle, and holding steady while raising her four children.
“I want my kids to understand that life can throw you things you didn’t plan for,” she says. “But you always have choices in how you move forward. You can grow through the hard things.”
With everything she’s learned at Birch, Melissa is well on her way to bringing her Family Vision to life. In keeping with Birch’s cultural value of celebration, Melissa and her family are saving for a special spring break trip for her son’s senior year, a reward for all their hard work along the way. Instead of taking on debt, Melissa is saving tips and spare dollars to fund their trip.
“I have a little savings jar picture posted on the fridge, and I’m coloring it in with highlighters,” she says with a laugh. Her kids are saving their own spending money too. These visual reminders teach them the importance of saving, celebrating, and living within your means.
The Legacy She’s Creating
Each decision Melissa makes teaches her kids about responsibility and creates a foundation that will outlast her time in the program. By modeling resilience, being mindful about money, and pursuing education at this point in her life, Melissa is showing her children what it looks like to shape a future with intention. For her, legacy is not only about financial independence but also about passing on the values of perseverance and peace.
Today she has nearly three months of emergency savings set aside and is on track to graduate debt-free from massage therapy school.
What Birch Supporters Make Possible
Melissa is clear about the role Birch’s in-kind and financial donors play in her growth. “It’s so much more than food. Every donation, every partnership is a way of saying, ‘You are valuable. Your future matters.’ That message keeps me going.”
For Melissa, those moments of provision and finding just what her family needs when she least expects it are a reminder that Birch is more than a place to shop. It’s a community where hope feels tangible and where Melissa continues building the stability she once only hoped was possible.
