Jean’s story is rather typical of the women we meet who are seeking hope for their future. “Jean” is a former intern of Omega NW. When she came to us, she had a background in retail, yet her struggle to feed her abusive habits led her to make destructive choices. Those actions made it hard to get a job that required a background check. A common situation. Jean had the qualifications, and the experience, but was unable to land a job based on her past. Couple that with ADHD and it felt overwhelming for her.
As our first meeting with Jean, we sat with her over her favorite cup of Chai and listened. We asked about her strengths, desires, hopes, not only for her future but also for her young daughter. We saw past her former choices and her strong desire to change the future. The OmegaNW team was happy to sit and listen to her story and journey with her while she settled in to her internship.
The first step in Omega’s internship program is to partner with All Star Labor & Staffing for the onboarding process. All Star takes care of the paperwork legalities for us (hallelujah), so we can focus on our interns, but it also places the interns in their registry for future employment opportunities.
Sometimes the little tasks bring the greatest satisfaction and Jean loved the ‘behind the scenes’ work of Well & Good; A Delicious Dish. No one could shine a copper sink better than Jean! She was so proud of her accomplishments!! Jean finished the phases of her paid internship, worked hard getting back on her feet financially, kept attending her accountability meetings and thrived. Once she was ready, she reached out to All Star Labor and Staffing, and landed a job at a specialty grocery store and loves it.
Not every intern shares the same story, but what they do share is a desire for a hope filled future and to be self-sufficient. If the past is filled with difficulties, you expect the same for the future and hope seems too much. Sometimes all it takes is someone believing differently for you. Omega believes!