Congratulations, Bahati, on your first job in America!
Last year, Bahati was living in a refugee camp in Uganda. He had fled from his home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, hoping to get to the United States to start a better life. Finally, his visa came through, and Bahati was on his way to Wisconsin.
Bahati wanted to settle here as soon as possible, but first – he was hungry. He joined FoodShare to get regular meals. When Bahati learned that FoodShare was also his ticket to finding a good job through the FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) program, he jumped at the chance to meet more Americans and learn how they could help him.
Sarah was one of the first to greet Bahati in our office, as an Employment Specialist with FSET. She says that although Bahati was virtually starting from scratch, he was “determined to make a life for himself in Wisconsin.”
She started by seeing what essentials FSET could provide, planning the path forward with Bahati, and finding other community services, like Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA). Sarah introduced Bahati to our Refugee Services program. Together, they helped him learn how to use our public transit system. FSET even provided bus vouchers so he could navigate his new community and start looking for work.
Then Bahati focused on finding a job. We worked together to create a resume, contact employers for interviews, and continue learning about the community.
Today, Bahati is excited to have his first job in America at a local restaurant! We were there from the application to the interview, and Bahati even invited us to walk through the site with him. We could see his enthusiasm right away and know he’s eager to start saving for a new home.
Are you on FoodShare and looking for a job? See how FSET can help.
