When Carmen first came to Reason to Give she was pregnant with her fifth child and her husband Alex was out of work, so they were surviving on her income alone. Carmen was most concerned about the well-being of her family and told Reason to Give that what her children really needed was new clothes.

In May 2009, Reason to Give delivered new clothing for all five of the children. They had a great time sorting through the bags of clothes and trying on their new outfits.

Carmen and her family have moved away from Humboldt Park and are no longer in the program. However, her husband Alex and the older children praised the program after it has helped their family survive through these tough times.