Our Story

Our founder and CEO, Michelle Paul, is an Army veteran, community leader, and living testament to the power of faith—the kind her grandmother, Carrie Hopkins, taught her was "as small as a mustard seed, but mighty enough to move mountains."

 

A Life Shaped by "One Check Away" Moments

 

Michelle’s story isn’t just about service—it’s about survival, resilience, and the faith that carried her through:

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• "One check away from finishing college" → So she joined the military to build a future.

• "One check away from leaving sooner" → Trapped in a domestic situation until faith and courage broke the cycle.

• "One check away from empty" → Surviving on food bank meals and cashing a $50 AT&T refund just to buy gas.

 

Her grandmother, Carrie Hopkins, was her anchor. A woman who opened her home to the neglected, afflicted and victims of domestic abuse, Carrie taught Michelle that hope doesn’t need to be big—it just needs to be stubborn. The size of a mustard seed’s worth was enough.

 

Why "One Check Away"?

 

The name reflects Michelle’s lived truth:

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• The razor’s edge between crisis and stability—one missed check, one unexpected bill, one closed door.

• The flip side of the coin—one opportunity, one mentor, one chance to change everything.

 

This is why our work exists: to be that "one check" that tips the scales toward hope.

 

Carrie’s Legacy: Faith in Action

 

Carrie didn’t just preach hope—she lived it. Her home was a sanctuary where she:

• Fed strangers (because "hunger doesn’t ask for a résumé").

• Sheltered abuse survivors (because "safety shouldn’t come with conditions").

• Prayed with a fierceness that taught Michelle: "You don’t need a miracle—you just need to outlast the storm."

 

That legacy drives us today. At One Check Away Inc., we don’t just offer programs—we offer:

• The same stubborn hope Carrie embodied.

• The same relentless advocacy Michelle learned in uniform.

• The same refusal to let a single check decide someone’s future.

 

Our Charge

 

We’re not here to fix systems. We’re here to fix the fallout—with mobile health units, housing navigation, scholarships, and the unshakable belief that no one is beyond reach.

 

Join us. Because faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains—and so can you!​