Upper Darby mother, daughter overcoming obstacles for better future

UPPER DARBY, Pa. (WPVI) -- Financial experts often say that most Americans are just one emergency event away from being hungry or homeless.

For an Upper Darby mother and daughter, it's been one event after another.

Veronica Hudson is a senior honor student at Upper Darby High School where she founded a club that tackles social issues.

On the day Action News visited, the topic was hunger. It's an issue that deeply impacts her and her mother, ever since her father died suddenly of a brain aneurysm.

"He passed in 2009 so I've been struggling ever since," Veronica's mother Melanie Hudson said.

While she rebuilds her life, Melanie turned to Philabundance for help.

"Before Philabundance, we had like ramen noodles as lunch and then a lot of fast food because it's cheap," Veronica said.

When Melanie's husband passed, she had a good job with benefits. But soon after, the agency she was contracted with cleaned house and she found herself a single mother unemployed.

"I cried. I had several emotions from anger to hurt to despair to confusion to what am I going to do?" Melanie said.

She went back to school, and got a job working with special needs children.

"I love it. I just can't live off the salary; I can't," Melanie said.

Her problems were compounded by the onset of glaucoma in her left eye.

"All this transition, I'm going blind at the same time," Melanie said.

But still she pressed on, graduating with honors from Harcum College then enrolling at Eastern University, where she just graduated cum laude.

Both mother and daughter are determined to make life better for the other.

"I want to be that successful person to break that cycle," Veronica said.

And Melanie has faith their luck is about to turn.

"The possibilities are limitless. I don't know, but I'm on the path of something great. I can feel it," Melanie said.

If you'd like to help people like Melanie and her daughter get back on their feet, see the many ways you can Connect. Share. Give. this holiday season.