In Smith County, a Navigator Helps Families Find Stability Through Small Steps and Steady Support
When Marissa Alsteens talks about her work, she begins not with programs or policies, but with people. As a Navigator for Empower Upper Cumberland, she spends her days walking alongside families who are trying to build a more stable life, often starting with limited resources and little margin for error.
Alsteens joined Empower with a clear purpose: to serve the families in the community where she grew up. Her work centers on supporting residents as they pursue education, financial stability, and long-term independence. What keeps her committed, she said, are the relationships she forms in the process—individual, personal, and often transformative.
In her role, Alsteens has watched families begin college classes, eliminate debt, secure reliable transportation, and obtain better employment. These changes rarely happen overnight. Instead, they unfold slowly, shaped by persistence and the belief that progress is possible.
Through those experiences, she has seen how deeply a support system influences a family’s ability to move forward. Even small disruptions can have major consequences. Car trouble, illness, or a lapse in childcare can cost someone a job. But with consistent support, she said, families are better able to keep working, meet their goals, and continue building stability.
The clearest measure of the program’s impact, according to Alsteens, is the shift families describe in how they feel. Participants tell Navigators they feel encouraged, acknowledged, and hopeful. Many begin to invest in themselves, enrolling in classes, accessing training, and taking steps toward a future that once felt out of reach.
Alsteens offers one message to anyone encountering families in similar circumstances: lead with kindness and curiosity. She emphasizes the importance of slowing down, refraining from judgment, and recognizing that the challenges people carry are not always visible. Listening, she said, has the power to change outcomes.
Her work in Smith County reflects a broader truth woven throughout Empower Upper Cumberland’s mission. Stability is rarely built through a single breakthrough. More often, it emerges from steady support, practical opportunities, and the quiet but persistent effort of families determined to move forward.
Check out her video here:
