of their futures with Lifespan services Lifespan offers more than 22 programs to individuals in need, and one of those is the Women in Transition Services. It is offered under the Displaced Homemakers funded by the New York State Department of Labor. There are many success stories that can be told by women who have benefited from the Women in Transition Services and "Bonnie" is one of those successes. Recently divorced and with no income for over three years, Bonnie says she felt isolated, frightened and had no hope, then one day she saw a Lifespan sign. "I decided to go in the door to see if anyone could help me and I met two wonderful women who helped me turn my life around." Bonnie said the workshops she attended brought knowledge, which translated to power. "I have taken control of my life. I'm the one who does the work, but the people at Lifespan empower me. I leave here feeling renewed and that there is a way out of this hell." It is the type of assistance that most women don't think about until they need it, and when they need it, they don't know such programs exist or where to find them. The Displaced Homemaker Program is for women who are widowed, divorced or separated, unemployed or underemployed or for those whose spouse or partner has a disability or is unemployed. Women in Transition Services Director Sally B. Stapley says that Displaced Homemakers was started 26 years ago by two women, one widowed and one divorced, who needed to go back to work. In its brochure, the Displaced Homemaker Program summarizes the situation: "Left on their own, without job ready skills, displaced homemakers often face instant poverty. They seldom receive medical, retirement or unemployment benefits, because they have not been paid for their services. They often are subjected to job discrimination due to their age, sex and lack of recent paid experience. The Displaced Homemaker Program helps people back on the road to economic independence by providing the counseling, training, placement and support services they need to obtain regular employment." Another woman helped by the program is "Jane" who said she lost her job three years ago and thought she could get another job easily. It didn't happen. "I lost hope," she says. "They wanted me to email a resume and I did not know how to email and could not do my resume. I was afraid and would freeze during interviews. Through the Women in Transition Services, I regained my self-confidence." The day this writer talked to her, Jane had two interviews scheduled. "Pat" is a single mom with a young daughter. "A couple of years ago I lost my job. I was looking through the phone directory and saw Lifespan. It seemed mainly for older people, but I called anyway." She learned about the Women in Transition Services Program, stopped procrastinating and contacted them. "When I got here, I felt direction, empowerment, non-judgment and love," she said. Pat said her counselor worked with her and helped her regain her sense of humor. "They even have a workshop called Laughter," Pat said, adding that laughter is the best medicine. Career Counselor Lori Garofalo of Ogden says that she and the others working with the women show them how to navigate through life alone. Many of these women don't know how to manage a budget, write a resume or go to an interview. Others are so devastated that they initially just need someone to listen. They may be losing their homes or even their children. "We sort of put this big pair of arms around them," Garofalo said. "We use a three-fold approach in helping them with their transition support groups, making them job-ready through workshops and making them the best they can be through self-development workshops." Support groups address topics such as divorce, separation and death, fear and change, self-esteem issues, healthy relationships, self-sabotage, loss and grief, anger, stress and anxiety, depression and expectations. The organization has a certified social worker for short-term counseling. "Many services out in the community," Garofalo said, "are not user-friendly to people who are going through a transition. Services are segmented. For instance, a woman is told to go to a computer to look for a job, but she has never used a computer." Women in Transition offers special topic workshops, puts the women in touch with free legal assistance by helping them contact the Legal Aid Society. Garofalo also said they have a representative who comes and gives workshops on low cost health care. Jean Parker, a guidance counselor from Monroe Community College, comes to talk about the possibility of going back to school. There are also workshops on applying for civil service jobs and preparing for the tests. Other workshops include: self-assessment and decision-making which includes taking a tally of skills, interests, background, computer classes, finance, budgeting, consumer habits and saving for long range financial goals. Garafalo says that they also put the women in touch with other services that they may need such as food cupboards and places that will give them clothes for work. The Working Woman's Wardrobe of the YWCA, for instance, will provide one or two free professional outfits with a letter from Lifespan. There is even help with utility bills. Most important is the entire program is free and confidential. The women also get help in finding a job and working out childcare and other details. "We are not an employment agency," Garofalo said. "We do not find them jobs, but we facilitate the job search. We have employer contacts and help them through the process." Career counselors stay in contact with the women long after they get a job. "I cannot tell you the energy this organization has," she said. "We are committed. This is not just a job. We are not going to let these women fall through the cracks. We are there for the long haul. The goal is to make them self-sufficient heads of their households." Bonnie says, "I feel like I matter to these people. It is not just about finding a job, but finding yourself." One of many success stories Carol Scott, 57, has just started a new job with Unity Health doing data entry in a pharmacy. This past year, however, had been a difficult one. On July 4, 2003, her husband of 37 years died of cancer, two months after his diagnosis. Scott says, "It was devastating." She said her husband did not have a life insurance policy, and she did not know how she was going to pay her mortgage. She had a college degree and had worked during her marriage, but it was always the "extra paycheck." She said she never had the full responsibility before. Scott went to Lifespan after reading an ad in the paper. "I met with Vinni Simpson, career counselor, and I was so nervous I was bawling." She said that although she had the education and experience, she was not job-ready emotionally. "I could not even talk in a group without starting to cry," she said. "I didn't know what I wanted to do and was not sure what was out there." Scott calls the Women in Transition Services fantastic. "I've seen a variety of people - people who have been injured and are on disability, abused women, widows, people of all ages and all ethnic groups," she said. "What I saw Lifespan do for women is amazing. It has turned women's lives around, given them dignity and self-worth." Scott said you have to stick with the program. "You can't expect a quick fix. It takes time to heal." Part of Scott's success story is that her new job is a full-time position with regular hours, benefits and medical insurance. Contact information: Lifespan of Greater Rochester, Women In Transition Services, 1900 South Clinton Avenue, Rochester, New York 14618. Phone: 585-244-8400, Fax: 585-244-9125, www.lifespan-roch.org. |
