Ellen’s life was on the upswing. She had recently been offered employment through Manpower, but then her incarceration at the Allen County Jail put an end to her plans. While she was still in pre-release status, Ellen met Staci Miles, an employment specialist with Goodwill Easterseals’ Community Outreach Program in Lima. Staci is part of a free program that works with adults in the criminal justice system to help them successfully transition back into the community and reduce recidivism. With Ellen’s consent, Staci reached out to Manpower to request approval for Ellen to continue her employment onboarding process. Thanks to this intervention, Ellen picked up where she had left off and began working at Manpower.
Staci continued to help Ellen with obtaining her State identification card and provided vouchers so that Ellen could obtain appropriate work clothing and boots. Funding from the Community Outreach Program even provided transportation assistance so Ellen could attend her work orientation and other appointments until transportation assistance was established with Allen County Job and Family Services. Ellen has expressed deep appreciation for Goodwill Easterseals and Staci Miles for providing life-changing services that helped her achieve self -sufficiency. “If it wasn’t for you and your program, I would not have had the financial independence I have today!”