There was a time when Jennifer didn’t know how she was going to be able to pay her next month’s rent. She was stuck in a time of deep struggle, and everywhere she looked for help didn’t work. “I was one foot away from being homeless again,” she said. She has been let down too many times by organizations offering help. She had lost trust in the system. Jennifer was scared and angry about life, and with herself. She felt like a complete failure. Time after time she was denied access to Social Security assistance, and she was left feeling more helpless than helped.
That’s when she turned to Goodwill and the Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) program.
Coming to Goodwill for help wasn’t easy for Jennifer though. She was scared. Could she trust Goodwill to help her, when so many others had failed to help her? Would they judge her need for help? But she faced her fears. After a few phone calls with her new HEN case manager, it was time to meet in person. And her experience was so much better than ever before.
Jennifer thought her new case manager was amazing. She felt taken care of and informed. The case manager told Jennifer about all the things the HEN program could provide while she was in the program, like a supply of household items every month. Jennifer’s case manager was always ready to answer her calls and help her, which helped Jennifer build trust since she never felt ignored or let down. Even after Jennifer was graduated from the HEN program, her case manager was still there to talk if she needed help.
Jennifer was still denied Social Security assistance, so she was struggling financially. So, Jennifer’s case manager encouraged her to apply for jobs. Since she was familiar with the HEN program, she started by applying for a HEN case manager role at Goodwill. She wasn’t eligible for the position. But the experience of applying and going to an interview gave her the confidence she needed to apply for other jobs.
So, she did. And two years later she is still working from home as a Customer Service Representative with the same company.
This job has helped Jennifer afford to buy a car and maintain a home. She said, “I am no longer on any public assistance. I pay all my bills as a productive member of society.” She still faces barriers in life, but she is enjoying the feeling of being off public assistance.
“I can hold my head up high now. I have pride in what I do for a living, and I am not on a fixed income anymore. When I didn’t have confidence in myself, my HEN case manager did,” Jennifer said. “If it wasn’t for her faith and confidence in me, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”