ATLANTA — The pandemic hit certain groups of people particularly hard.

A local nonprofit organization says girls and women are among them and they’re going above and beyond to help.

Sue Jaescke loves her new work clothes.

“I took like five pictures the first day that I put them on to go to an actual job at the hospital. It was an amazing feeling,” she told Channel 2′s Berndt Petersen.

She is a full-time student and a full-time single mom.

It’s a challenge made much more difficult by the pandemic.

“There was a lot of isolation. It all led to mental health issues as well as physical health and economic issues,” Kari Love said.

She heads up the Atlanta Women’s Foundation.

The nonprofit is committed to helping women and girls succeed. They just awarded more than $1 million in grants to 21 nonprofits in five metro area counties that provide services to women and girls.

Kenita Smith’s H.O.P.E Incorporated is one of them.

They help cover rent, childcare, and more for lower-income single parents who are in college.

“It’s actually derived from my personal life story. I was a single parent in college, and it took me 10 years to graduate,” Smith said.

She wants to make sure it doesn’t take anyone else that long.

Jaescke is about to graduate from nursing school after two years of study, and she’s grateful for the help from H.O.P.E. to make it happen.

“Because I am a full-time student I don’t have the opportunity to work full-time hours. So, a little bit of “hope” helps me get to my dream,” Jaescke said.

She graduates in December and next week begins a residency at Northside Hospital Forsyth in the operating room.

To learn more about the Atlanta Women’s Foundation and H.O.P.E. visit: https://hopbe.org/ and https://www.atlantawomen.org/.