When Chassidy Gorrell’s marriage abruptly ended, she and her three children were cast into a harsh and unsettled reality. With nowhere to turn and nothing to call their own, Gorrell searched for affordable housing and a place to call home. Having only the clothes they wore, they stayed in a tiny camper graciously opened to them by her boss, a small shelter of kindness in their darkest hour. Though it offered safety and warmth, the cramped space was never meant to be a lasting home. Within the camper, the small family began to recover and heal, taking their first steps forward as Gorrell searched for an apartment for her family.
Despite working long hours as a nurse, Gorrell was weighed down by the crushing burden of past financial hardships, including a bankruptcy that had damaged her credit, making the dream of homeownership feel like an impossible luxury.
“My heart sank and I thought, ‘Here we go again.’ But the lady told me not to worry [and] that she would help me build my credit back up so that they could help us get a home one day.” – Chassidy Gorrell
One night, Gorrell noticed a social media post from a former coworker. Within that message, she saw the first glimmer of hope and a path forward taking her away from the shadows of her past. The post described a homebuyer assistance program run by Tennessee’s Community Assistance Corporation (TCAC) that was helping people achieve homeownership, despite their credit struggles and financial barriers. That same night she applied online, and within days TCAC reached out. They offered a lifeline of guidance through the maze of credit repair, housing counseling, savings strategies, and paperwork that had long felt overwhelming and out of reach.
With TCAC’s continued support and mortgage assistance programs, Gorrell began the slow, difficult process of rebuilding her credit and saving for a down payment, each small victory rekindling a vision that had almost vanished. Months later, there was a call from the bank, signaling the start of a new chapter—the home loan process was underway.
More than financial aid, TCAC provided Gorrell and her children with a fresh start. She kept the new house a secret from the children, but then she realized it would be a wonderful Christmas gift for them.
“So Christmas morning I made up a treasure hunt that led us to the house,” Gorrell said.
The clues wound through the house and yard until they discovered their new home. They moved into a newly built home where stability replaced the past. “When it was revealed to them that that was our new home, we all cried,” Gorrell recalled softly. “My children now not only have their own rooms but they have a yard of their own to play in.”
Chassidy Gorrell’s journey from hardship to hope shows the powerful difference that compassionate support, financial assistance for homebuyers, and expert credit counseling services can make.
Thanks to TCAC, Gorrell experienced her own “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” moment and a reminder that even in the toughest times, optimism and new beginnings are possible.