Stephanie had only been living in Wisconsin for a mere month when she visited our office. After recently losing her mother, Stephanie felt completely on her own, wanting a fresh start and determined to find her place in the world. She suddenly found herself looking for her forever home in Wisconsin.
One of the first steps Stephanie took since moving to Wisconsin was signing up for Foodshare. Having never been on assistance before, she knew this would help her pay for food, but didn’t know that it could also help her find a job. After she received her Foodshare welcome letter, her Income Maintenance worker told her about our Foodshare Employment Training Program (FSET), our free local program that would help her get a job. Without hesitation, She decided to reach out to our Fond du Lac office to get started.
When she enrolled in FSET, Stephanie was able to get transportation support in the form of gas vouchers and help understanding the ins and outs of Foodshare. It can be tricky to manage new resources while looking for a job and navigating life without a parental figure to guide you. “The FSET program in general gave me motivation and assurance that I wasn’t alone,” says Stephanie.
Stephanie and her case manager, Angel, met weekly to go over job leads and talked about the other resources that could help with her job search. Even though she felt everything remained dark, Angel kept reassuring Stephanie that there was still a light at the end of the tunnel. And after a few weeks’ time, that light finally surfaced. Stephanie had found a great full-time customer service position in her new city, and huge weight had been lifted.
When asked what this success meant to her, Stephanie says, “it means I’m always a step closer to achieving my goals. I’m going to keep staying the course and always put my best foot forward.” Stephanie is really hopeful about her future here in Wisconsin. She continues working on her goals and is looking at getting her CDL one day! Ultimately, Stephanie is focusing on being the best possible version of herself and becoming the person her mother would be proud of.
Congratulations, Stephanie! We’re so proud of you and happy you’re with us.
Have you moved to a new city recently? Our FSET program can help you settle in.
