Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future

The career development class at the Bowery Mission Women’s Center is going so well! The women are engaged and applying what they are learning. The first couple of classes were fun as we talked about dream jobs, interests and values. Now the classes address tough issues. The women are facing their pasts and employment barriers as they seek solutions. Sandy and I thought the women may shy away and not participate as much in the lessons but we were wrong. They are willing to push through so they can succeed at finding meaningful employment.

I have worked one on one with a woman who will begin job searching before the rest. I’ve been helping her formulate answers to interview questions. I help her practice by hosting mock interviews. She has improved greatly from three weeks ago. She’s sharp and remembers the tips I give her. Her answers were once long and off target and she included unecessary info. With the help of the WorkNet curriculum, I helped her create concise answers that offer valuable information and quantify her skills. She is going to do great on her interviews! During our time together yesterday, I got some insight into her past. I wasn’t sure how she ended up at the Bowery and was surprised she was there after seeing her job history. She opened up by tellling me she was in the shelter system before she was recommended for the Bowery program. She had an 11 year career as a home health care attendant. Her identification expired and took some time to renew. During the process, the company she was working for had to let her go. She lost her apartment and ended up at a shelter because she couldn’t pay her rent. She had her apartment for 8 years. I asked what happened to her belongings while staying at a shelter. She got tears in her eyes and told me she lost it all. When she left her apartment, she sent all of her things to storage. When she could no longer pay that bill, everything she owned was auctioned off. What she had worked so hard for was gone. She is now walking with the Lord, has a positive attitude and is looking forward to finding employment as a home healthcare attendant once again. She hopes to start out there while she continues her education. She eventually wants to be a medical technician.