In a Position to Pass it Forward

Erica had to leave her job as a Shift Manager at a fast-food chain due to a family emergency. She decided to come to the Goodwill Career Connections Center in Davidson County to find out about opportunities for assistance. Staff at the Career Center helped Erica sign up for WorkFirst. Work First Family Assistance was developed by North Carolina to disperse federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds. Employment services are also provided to enable families to become self-sufficient.

Erica’s life seemed to be getting back on track. However, not long after she started a new job, her husband was incarcerated. She had two young children and her father-in-law was terminally ill. She quit her job to take care of her father-in-law and he paid for her family’s expenses. When her father-in-law passed away about a year later, Erica had no income and was worried about how she would take care of her children. She found herself on the brink of homelessness and again reached out to Career Connections for help. She received assistance with her resume and soon received a job offer from a nonprofit agency. She worked there as a Cook, a Store Manager and a Social Worker. She left for a brief time to work as an Assistant Manager for a retail store but soon returned to her job with the nonprofit. She is happy that her experience as a Social Worker allows her to be of assistance to others who are going through some of the same challenges that she has faced.