The women arrive every morning at 9 a.m., dressed in skirt suits and pant suits and looking ready for business. For four weeks they come together to collaborate on the most important work of their lives – themselves.
They are participants in Women Investing in Second Chances (W.I.N.S.) at the job-training program STRIVE-New Haven. There, coaches and instructors help the women learn to overcome past struggles that have made it hard for them to find employment or advance in careers.
“We do it on our own, but they [our instructors] give us the strength,” says Dorinda Thomas, who was recently hired at Walmart and has aspirations of working in the medical field. “It feels good to work again. It’s a blessing to be in this classroom with these women. I gained my self-respect back and I gained my confidence back.” Continue reading.
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