Success Stories

Angelina

Aspiring chef makes dream come true

Angelina always wanted to be a chef. After overcoming many obstacles in her personal life, she was ready to partner with WOW to make her dream come true, identifying her daughter as one of the driving forces behind her will to succeed.

“I wanted to be a good role model for her,” says Angelina.

When Angelina finished her training at WOW she had so many interests that she opted to pursue two internships and enhance her skill set. She first worked with Katherine’s French Bakery and wowed the chef with her energy and confidence in the kitchen. With one solid recommendation under her belt she joined Project Angel Heart. Here she made such an impression that she was invited to attend the staff outing to a Rockies baseball game. Shortly thereafter she received an employment offer at Pete’s Pizzeria with Sodexho on the Auraria Campus.

“She’s got pizza orders up to her eyeballs but she is getting them out and they look good!” her supervisor remarked to WOW after Angelina’s first week.

Six months and two “Employee of the Month” awards later Angelina was promoted to pastry chef and received a $1.00 raise! She reached eight months of employment on April 14th. Her supervisor continues to rave about her dependability, and the enthusiasm and passion she exhibits for her career.

Finally, Angelina is where she belongs.

 

Colleen

Woman credits WOW for success

When Colleen came to the WOW program in 2005, she was trying to get her life back on track. She had just left an abusive relationship spanning more than a decade and now was supporting two sons alone, processing a violent past, and living with a learning disability. She struggled to remember tasks that involved multiple steps and her mind was constantly consumed with her abuser’s voice.

“He’d tell me you’re worthless, you’re stupid, you can’t do anything,” she recalls.

Evicted from her home on short notice, she temporarily left the program. With her case manager’s help she located stable housing at an affordable price, although she still struggled to get by on the limited help from TANF. Her family offered some financial support but pressured her to quit WOW and “just get a job.”

Life seemed to continue getting in the way of her progress. The woman who was known for encouraging her classmates to keep trying felt like giving up.

But Colleen didn’t give up. Thanks to family counseling arranged through WOW and successful completion of the program, her dream of a career in the culinary industry is coming true.

She worked full-time for nine months with Chartwells at Johnson & Wales before moving to Elizabeth, recently celebrating her one year anniversary with Elizabeth and Frontier High School in April 2008.

She isn’t shy about crediting Work Options for Women for their unending support.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without WOW.”

 

Rene

WOW alum takes life into own hands

Life before Work Options for Women holds no comparison to what Rene knows now. The difference is like night and day. After experiencing hardships and many losses, Rene decided that enough was enough. She had reached a turning point and discovered a determination within her that would transform life as she knew it. As a result of this new found focus, she enrolled in the Work Options for Women program.

“I wanted a better life for me and my children,” she says.

Her resolve to make change happen fueled her drive to maintain a positive attitude and get to school every day no matter what she was facing outside of the kitchen. Due to this dedication Rene became the only student in her class to attain perfect attendance throughout her training and internship experiences. Her natural aptitude for working in the kitchen primed the foundation upon which her professional success could grow, as indeed it has.

Rene completed an internship at Three Tomatoes Catering, after which she was offered a full-time position by the Executive Chef. Through the help of Work Options for Women, as well as her own ambition and positive reputation, she earned a professional advancement opportunity with Aramark at the Colorado School of Mines. As of April 2008, Rene reached nine months of employment with the college.

“Work Options for Women changed my life,” she says. “I am so grateful.”