“I was depressed. I was going through dark times; I didn’t want to get ready. Now, I see how many opportunities that I have, so many open doors, it’s really boosted my confidence.”
In December 2023, Jennifer* was frightened and nervous for the upcoming divorce court proceedings she faced against her soon-to-be ex-husband.
As a stay-at-home mom, she didn’t have her own income to afford an attorney that could fight on her behalf and explain the intricate process of divorce.
“It was the unknown that was frightening. He made a lot more money than me. He had an attorney, and I didn’t. That generated a lot of fear in me.”
One day she was on Facebook and saw a post for Fresh Start’s Family Law Support services. She reached out and quickly began receiving guidance on how to advocate for herself as she navigated the family court process.
With Fresh Start’s support, light was shed on a situation that she found confusing and frightening: the court process, the timeline, and how to correctly respond to all the accusations made by her ex-husband.
“For the longest time I feared my ex-husband. I didn’t have the tools, education, or information to go to court prepared because a lot of times what he said didn’t make sense to me.”
With divorce proceedings behind her and her ex-husband out of the home, Jennifer left her role as a stay-at-home mom and re-entered the workforce.
“I just thought, ‘What am I going to do?’ The pay was not enough with three kids. I needed higher pay.”
Jennifer noticed that Fresh Start had four other Impact Program pillars in addition to Family Stability which included Family Law Support, and she was immediately intrigued by the opportunities each provided.
“When I first came to Fresh Start, the thing in my head was ‘What’s going to happen when I go to court?’ Education wasn’t really on my mind at the time until I learned more about Fresh Start and saw the different opportunities.”
Eager to better her take-home income, Jennifer signed up for the career training course with the closest start date: Cable Harness Wiring. She always loved a challenge, working with people, plus the course was free! She thought, ‘What do I have to lose?’
“I wanted to get a better paying job so that I didn’t have to be so reliant on my ex-husband coming through with child support. If he disappeared on the kids, we’d be okay.”
Jennifer’s kids were so excited and proud of her for starting a new training program, even if it disrupted the usual routine with their mom.
“It was a bit complicated because I had to go to school all afternoon, and the kids stayed at home. It was just a four-week course which was good, but it was a big change for them.”
As the four-week program progressed, she fell in love with the work and felt like she excelled.
“The cable harness program was easy for me. I did quite well. I felt like I was able to help everyone else. I was able to just talk to the women I was with and share everything.”
Fresh Start continued to help her achieve success in her education program while also providing support in other pillar areas including financial management and budgeting, personal empowerment, and career development with resume writing and interview skills.
“I feel like cable harness was a program that opened so many doors. I’m very excited and know it’s going to contribute to getting a better job and pay.”
Like many women who spend time within Fresh Start’s doors, Jennifer formed lasting relationships with her peers in the program. She experienced the benefits of Fresh Start sisterhood.
“Having the group of women in my class to hold me accountable really kept me going. We checked in with each other and made sure we were all doing well, that we’d make it to class and keep succeeding.”
Amid the intense course and balancing home life, Jennifer stayed motivated with her three boys in the forefront of her mind. Her time at Fresh Start opened her future to new possibilities and she even contemplated going back to school or getting a degree in engineering.
As she completed the course, she couldn’t help but reflect on how her life had improved in just four short weeks.
“If I hadn’t come to Fresh Start, I would probably be struggling with my bills and in a depression because of the divorce situation…. I was going through dark times; I didn’t want to get ready each day. Now, I see how many opportunities that I have, so many open doors, it’s really boosted my confidence.”
Jennifer was so proud that she took the first big step to get help when she needed it most, especially since she was so used to doing everything on her own. She hopes that other women in need of a hand up will find Fresh Start and ask for help.
“I would tell other women that things do get better. You’re not going to stay in that place forever. I know, I’ve been there. Things are going to get better; the possibilities are endless; you just need to take the first step.”
After completing the Cable Harness Wiring program and passing the test, Jennifer had no issue finding opportunities to interview for open positions. She even had the chance to decline job offers when they didn’t meet her salary goals.
“I did three interviews with the help of Fresh Start, and I got a job offer that I declined. Then I followed up with Fresh Start and I did two more interviews. In the end, I interviewed at six different places before I found the job that paid me what I wanted.”
Jennifer found her current job after receiving a business card from PDS Tech representatives during their visit to her Cable Harness classroom.
The process of getting hired by PDS Tech and placed at Honeywell took about a month, including background checks, transcript requests, and employment history. To Jennifer’s surprise, she didn’t have to interview. PDS Tech looked at her resume and found a job that fit her skill set.
She shared she loves her new role and that the work schedule of 6:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. each day is perfect for her family life. She also said that she felt very confident in her new role.
“I knew what I needed to know because I did the Fresh Start training. It made a big difference… I knew all the tools. It wasn’t something weird and foreign.”
Jennifer said that some of the coworkers who started at the same time as her didn’t share her experience. She noticed other new hires felt less confident because they weren’t prepared with a certificate like Jennifer.
“I could never see myself here before. I never thought I’d work as an assembly technician. Now, I feel like I have reached my goals.”
As the weeks passed, she continued to understand her new work schedule and was even called upon to work overtime hours to complete a project for the company on time.
“I’m working 50-60 hours a week right now, so that has been tough. But with the overtime money I paid off some debts and can focus on improving my credit.”
To stay connected with her family, Jennifer also used the salary and overtime to take mini vacations with her kids throughout the summer.
“We are not so financially tight anymore, and my kids can see that.”
Jennifer’s goals didn’t stop with attaining a full-time job. Now that she has financial stability, she aims to repair her credit score, pay off her debts, and move to live closer to her new workplace. She also hopes to earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering one day.
“When I started, I felt like I didn’t know where to go or what to do. I felt helpless… Now I would tell myself: ‘You’ve got this. You can do this!”