JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – As housing costs climb and job losses ripple through Florida, more families are facing foreclosure here than anywhere else in the nation — and many are turning to quiet, community-based help before they lose everything.
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Late last year, Florida posted the highest foreclosure rate in the country, driven by rising living expenses and an unemployment rate that reached 4.2%, the state’s highest level in more than four years. Behind those numbers are people like Kimberly Rookey, a single parent who found herself suddenly at risk of losing her home after a job loss.
Inside a small sewing studio, the hum of machines and the laughter of children learning to stitch pin cushions mask a much heavier story. The space, called The Lost Art of Sewing, exists today because Rookey was able to get emergency assistance when she needed it most.
“I had no idea how I was going to make the mortgage,” Rookey said. “I was thinking about all my different options because I thought, you know, even if I try to sell the house and rent, I mean, what are my rent prices going to be like?”
Rookey had spent years working in the corporate world after studying fashion and textile design, gradually drifting away from the work she loved. When she lost her job last year, the financial strain forced her to rethink everything, including whether she could keep her home.
That’s when she was connected to BEAM, a community-based organization serving the Jacksonville Beaches community. Through BEAM’s emergency rental assistance program, Rookey received short-term financial help that allowed her to stay afloat and open her sewing studio.
“BEAM was like a shining light,” she said. “It gave me peace of mind to know that in January I was taken care of. It felt like warm, loving arms around me from the community.”
Accepting help wasn’t easy. Rookey said pride and the pressure to be self-reliant, especially as a single parent, nearly stopped her from asking.
“A lot of times I feel like I have to do it on my own,” she said. “I’m used to doing it on own, but at the same time, there is a community that’s out there that’s available to you. And don’t be afraid or inhibited by your own feelings of like ‘Oh my gosh what will people think?’”
Now, Rookey says the experience changed her life. While corporate work paid the bills, she said it left her unfulfilled. Today, she teaches children and adults sewing skills, building both confidence and community all while keeping a roof over her head.
“I wasn’t fulfilled anyways. And so I think God had a different path for me and I had to just kind of follow along,” she said.
Advocates say stories like Rookey’s highlight how early intervention can prevent foreclosure and homelessness at a time when many Floridians are just one missed paycheck away from crisis.
BEAM provides emergency assistance with rent, utilities and financial counseling for people who live or work in the Beaches area. The organization serves residents in ZIP codes 32233, 32266, 32250, 32082, 32224 and 32227.
Those seeking help can request an appointment with a financial services volunteer at jaxbeam.org or by calling 904-241-2326.