A teen mother at 17, Johnnetta struggled to stay in school while raising her son and taking care of her ill mother. For several years, she survived by supporting herself and her family on welfare.
Johnnetta had dreams of working to support her family and making a difference in her community. Fortunately, she found Opportunity Junction, a United Way grantee that fights poverty by helping low-income adults gain the skills and confidence to support themselves and their families.
The story of Johnnetta’s deam job starts a few years ago, when she found a temporary position with a program that assisted pregnant teens and women. Shortly after beginning the job, Johnnetta knew she had found her calling in life.
However, when that position ended, Johnnetta was lost again. She struggled through various jobs to support her three children, but never experienced the same joy she had while helping pregnant women. She lost confidence and began to think that she didn’t deserve any better than to work meaningless jobs for limited pay.
That is when she stumbled across Opportunity Junction. Opportunity Junction has been a United Way grantee for six years; their work aligns closely with United Way’s “Income” strategy, which invests in programs that empower individuals and families to build their own pathways out of poverty.
Johnnetta loved the personal feel and attention of the small classes at Opportunity Junction and blossomed quickly.
“The ‘Life Skills’ class gave me a chance to open up and get my confidence back,” said Johnnetta. Her Opportunity Junction internship empowered her to make decisions and share her opinions.
Shortly after her internship began, Johnnetta found the perfect job: Brighter Beginnings was looking for a Family Advocate to work with pregnant African-American women in their Antioch office. Johnnetta had the experience from her previous temporary job, and now she had the confidence and the skills from her Opportunity Junction training to land the job.
“Opportunity Junction gave me the confidence to get my dream job — to pick a goal and go for it,” Johnnetta says. “I love my position, but what I really love is being able to refer new people to Opportunity Junction to share in a wonderful experience.”
