In November, 2015, Amanda came to A New Leaf struggling to save her home and in desperate need of a job with insurance to help care for her son’s unique needs. She was also in a toxic marriage, and the emotional and psychological trauma had already caused major damage to her self-esteem and confidence.
Amanda worked closely with a career counselor at A New Leaf’s program, Arizona Women’s Education and Employment, to improve her confidence. In time, staff with AWEE referred her to a great job with insurance that would cover her son’s medical bills.
Amanda says “AWEE did more than just help me find a great job. They helped me find myself, find my strength, and gave me lifelong tools to not just survive, but to thrive. Because of AWEE, I was able get out of a toxic marriage and become financially independent. It’s been a long crawl out of that hole. But I am standing and moving forward.”
AWEE’s career counselors stay connected to their clients for a year after job placement to provide ongoing coaching and support. Amanda’s counselor kept encouraging her to look into completing her Bachelor’s degree. Finishing her degree had been Amanda’s dream since she left school after the birth of her first child over 15 years ago.