“IW helped me pick up the pieces of my life, so I can start making myself whole again.”
Picking Up the Pieces
Claire Vale* had a difficult start in life. She lost her mother at 13 years old, resulting in her moving to her father’s home. Ultimately, it was a place she ran away from before falling into drug addiction until her late 20s.
“I made many mistakes. Mistakes that I have atoned for and corrected for myself and my two daughters,” she said.
While an out-patient at a drug rehabilitation facility and five months pregnant, Claire was directed to Donna Gabriel, vocational counselor of Interfaith Works’ (IW) Vocational Services Program (VSP). Claire needed to find work to support herself.
“When Donna met me, I could not even put my thoughts together, more so the ability to write down my previous work experiences.” Claire explained that her anxiety was compounded by doubts whether employers would hire someone with her background and challenges.
After several one-on-one sessions with Donna, Claire completed her resume and practiced answering interview questions. The preparation helped Claire secure a position in a grocery store.
“I worked hard. I was committed to doing good and keeping clean because I wanted my children to have a better life,” Claire shared, adding that her road to recovery has not been easy but she persevered.
Through sheer hard work and determination to give her daughters a brighter future, Claire later became a bus driver, where she slowly rose the ranks in the company.
Today, she is training new hires to be safe and careful drivers.
“I enjoy teaching others and being with people,” she said proudly. “It is my way of expressing my personality and giving back to others.”
Two years after her first session with IW VSP, Claire reached out to Donna.
“I called her to say thank you,” she said. “Because the six or seven hours she spent to help me write my resume, look for job openings, and motivate me when I was pregnant and scared changed my life. It led me to where I am now.”
And where she is now is in a quiet neighborhood where Claire was waiting to pick up her youngest child from day care. It was a scene she had not thought possible for her many years ago.
“Life is not easy. There will always be difficulties but I know that so long as I continue to make the right choices and face life with gratitude, blessings will come.”
Claire’s story is testament to the transformative impacts of your donations. Please help us continue to be there for our neighbors who are facing difficult circumstances, so many more can rebuild their lives like Claire.
*IW respects and protects the privacy of its clients. Clare Vale is a pseudonym.