Success Stories
Rebeca entered the Oregon Human Development Corporation’s employment and training program in February 2011. It was clear from the start that Rebeca was a highly motivated individual, but it didn’t prepare us for all that she would accomplish while in the program. Nor did we know when she began, how she would go on to directly influence and inspire other clients to excel through motivating themselves and recognizing that they had it within themselves to achieve whatever they set their mind to.
Rebeca grew up in a very impoverished area in Oaxaca, Mexico and was raised by her parents with her eleven siblings. When interviewed last year regarding her story, she spoke of the suffering she faced from a very early age and recounted having to start working by the age of five. She spoke of how she helped her mother make tortillas as early as four in the morning, would then attend school, and would come home to continue working. The family’s home had no running water and the children had to do their part to transport buckets of water from a nearby creek daily in order to bathe and cook.
When Rebeca first began with OHDC, she knew her goal was to become a teaching assistant and was already working on completing her GED through another agency. She eventually graduated and went on to inspire other female clients to complete their GED. Additionally, she completed Child Development Associate Certification courses through OHDC’s partner agency, Community Action, completed her CPR and 1st Aid certification, Oregon Food Handler’s Card, and eventually completed 160 hours of training. She also had the opportunity to complete a Work Experience with another partner agency, El Centro Cultural, where she worked in their child care facility for three months to gain more experience. In addition to the paid training, she signed herself up as a volunteer with another Head Start program with another partner agency, The Oregon Child Development Coalition. During this time, she went on to receive her United States Citizenship and attended English as a Second Language courses at Portland Community College, all while raising her five children. Her efforts eventually paid off when she was offered a part-time Spanish teaching position with a local pre-school called Wildwood Nature School last year. Once she completed her year with the Wildwood Nature School, she was forced back into farm work temporarily, which pushed her to work even harder to gain full-time employment as a teaching assistant. Once again, her determination paid off because this month, she was offered a full-time position in a licensed facility earning $10 an hour to start.
Rebeca is close to completing her CDA and expects to receive her credentials in the next two months. Until then, she hopes to continue working on improving her English and continue working with her children to see them excel. Her daughter Odalis joined OHDC in the fall, has completed her C.N.A. 1 training, is attending school full-time in preparation for a nursing degree, and is a recipient of the Hope Scholarship for the C.N.A. 2 training this spring. Rebeca’s drive and determination has not only effected her family, but many others in our agency.
Rebeca grew up in a very impoverished area in Oaxaca, Mexico and was raised by her parents with her eleven siblings. When interviewed last year regarding her story, she spoke of the suffering she faced from a very early age and recounted having to start working by the age of five. She spoke of how she helped her mother make tortillas as early as four in the morning, would then attend school, and would come home to continue working. The family’s home had no running water and the children had to do their part to transport buckets of water from a nearby creek daily in order to bathe and cook.
When Rebeca first began with OHDC, she knew her goal was to become a teaching assistant and was already working on completing her GED through another agency. She eventually graduated and went on to inspire other female clients to complete their GED. Additionally, she completed Child Development Associate Certification courses through OHDC’s partner agency, Community Action, completed her CPR and 1st Aid certification, Oregon Food Handler’s Card, and eventually completed 160 hours of training. She also had the opportunity to complete a Work Experience with another partner agency, El Centro Cultural, where she worked in their child care facility for three months to gain more experience. In addition to the paid training, she signed herself up as a volunteer with another Head Start program with another partner agency, The Oregon Child Development Coalition. During this time, she went on to receive her United States Citizenship and attended English as a Second Language courses at Portland Community College, all while raising her five children. Her efforts eventually paid off when she was offered a part-time Spanish teaching position with a local pre-school called Wildwood Nature School last year. Once she completed her year with the Wildwood Nature School, she was forced back into farm work temporarily, which pushed her to work even harder to gain full-time employment as a teaching assistant. Once again, her determination paid off because this month, she was offered a full-time position in a licensed facility earning $10 an hour to start.
Rebeca is close to completing her CDA and expects to receive her credentials in the next two months. Until then, she hopes to continue working on improving her English and continue working with her children to see them excel. Her daughter Odalis joined OHDC in the fall, has completed her C.N.A. 1 training, is attending school full-time in preparation for a nursing degree, and is a recipient of the Hope Scholarship for the C.N.A. 2 training this spring. Rebeca’s drive and determination has not only effected her family, but many others in our agency.
Osvaldo’s Story
Before entering OHDC’s program, I was working at Oregon Harvesting picking blueberries. Every day I would receive a gallon bucket to fill. We were paid $1.75 per bucket. I wasn’t a good picker, so I was making minimum wage. It was difficult work, especially in the morning because it was cold and wet. After 10 or 11 it was really hot, sometimes 90 to 100 degrees and I didn’t like it.
My goal when I started was to get more endorsements and get a better a job. I also wanted more experience driving trucks because before I started, I didn’t have any experience driving. I got my CDL in 2006, but I never drove or used it, so every time I applied for a job, they wouldn’t hire me because I wasn’t qualified. They required experience to drive. So when I started at OHDC, they sent me to Elite Truck School to get my Hazmat, Doubles and Triples, and Tanker endorsements. When I was at the school, the driving instructors taught us how to drive, how to turn, to use the gears correctly, how to hook up the trailers, etc. My goals changed a lot while I was in the program because I got more experience. I now know how to hook a trailer and got experience filling the log book. While in OHDC I had the opportunity to do a Work Experience at the Washington County Habitat for Humanity Restore as a driver and helped in the store. It helped me a lot because I was driving a box truck and I was driving every day up to 150 miles a day. I also gained customer service experience because I was sent to people’s homes to pick up donations and I had to talk with them. Also, when I interviewed for my job, the owner saw my experience on my resume and he asked me about. He was very happy when he heard about my work with them. I think having the job helped me out a lot. I also took the computer classes with Victor and Rosetta Stone. It helped me a lot because my English is a lot better. Also, I took the Customer Service class and Short Term Job Readiness classes which helped me understand the importance of how to treat customers and having a good attitude. While at OHDC, I learned a lot, especially on the computers with Rosetta Stone and in the trainings with Victor. I also learned how to apply for jobs, fax and email resumes, and how to interview. Now I am driving and working for S & M Steel where I have been working for two months making $14 an hour with benefits. It’s a good job and I have very good partners and the owner is a good guy. The manager is a good person too. They send me to the job sites with the information. When I was in the field, I worked so hard and made only $8.50 an hour, and I was tired and hungry. Now I’m driving...driving...and driving…dropping off the loads...and I am happy. I really recommend OHDC because it helped so many people, especially farmworkers. I recommend the CDL program because OHDC makes it easier to finish. If you want to leave nursery work or farmworking, I recommend you speak to OHDC and I really recommend CDL because there are many local jobs for those who are interested. 
While at OHDC, I learned a lot, especially on the computers with Rosetta Stone and in the trainings with Victor. I also learned how to apply for jobs, fax and email resumes, and how to interview.
Now I am driving and working for S & M Steel where I have been working for two months making $14 an hour with benefits. It’s a good job and I have very good partners and the owner is a good guy. The manager is a good person too. They send me to the job sites with the information. When I was in the field, I worked so hard and made only $8.50 an hour, and I was tired and hungry. Now I’m driving...driving...and driving…dropping off the loads...and I am happy. I really recommend OHDC because it helped so many people, especially farmworkers. I recommend the CDL program because OHDC makes it easier to finish. If you want to leave nursery work or farmworking, I recommend you speak to OHDC and I really recommend CDL because there are many local jobs for those who are interested. |
