ReHire Helps a Woman Heal
Before joining the ReHire program, Suzanne was an older worker who had not worked for many years. A Colorado native, Suzanne met and married her husband while living in the Denver Metro area. Sadly, Suzanne’s husband was injured in his garage at his mechanic business when a truck fell from a lift several feet above the ground with her husband underneath. He was severely injured, and although he could still walk, his injuries caused him extreme pain and kept him wheelchair bound most of the time. As a result, Suzanne took on the responsibilities of caring full-time for her husband.
After the accident, in constant pain and unable to do the work he used to, Suzanne’s husband lost his sense of self-worth. His physical and mental health continued to decline and in March of 2019, after 17 years of marriage, Suzanne’s husband passed away, and she found herself in a desperate situation without housing or an income. Luckily, Suzanne had a sister living near Colorado Springs who was able to provide her with a room while she got back on her feet.
Suzanne was doing her best to look for work and rebuild her life but struggled with completing online applications and a lack of self-confidence. Her sister came across some information about the ReHire Program and thought it would be a good place to start for Suzanne.
Upon entering the program, Suzanne was placed to work at one of Goodwill’s retail stores. Faced with significant barriers to retain her work placement, she has worked hard to overcome them. One of the biggest barriers was her housing and transportation situation. Suzanne’s sister lives in a rural area northeast of Colorado Springs. There are no bus lines from Peyton, and Suzanne must get a ride from her sister into town where she takes- the bus to her worksite. This has made it difficult at times for Suzanne to make it to work on time. Fortunately, Suzanne was able to work through these issues and was hired into a regular position with Goodwill of Colorado’s West Retail Store at the end of August.
Suzanne is hoping to stay with Goodwill long term and is excited to find a place of her own closer to her worksite in the next month.
Administered through Goodwill’s Career Development Services program, ReHire Colorado is an 11-week, transitional employment program helping individuals with barriers to employment re-enter the workforce. Eligible participants benefit from paid, on-the-job training in a supportive work environment, and develop marketable job skills to launch or advance their careers. Learn more about ReHire on our website here.
