Get Paid to Train Employees

The Arizona Department of Commerce has a job training program that can reimburse employers 50-75% of costs for training new and existing employees. Stipulations apply, of course - after all, they are trying to create new jobs and higher wage jobs, so you must show that you will help these goals. But it might be worth checking into if you want to create more skills in your workforce. Check the Dept. of Commerce page on the program for more details.

Photo by Leonard Low

Do you golf?

Even if you don't, you can still participate in the FBR Open's Birdies for Bucks! Two options:

• Make a flat contribution
  
• Pledge a specified amount per birdie.

Typically, there are around 1500 birdies at the open, so $0.01 per birdie comes out to $15.00. Not a lot, counts towards your 2008 giving if you pledge/donate by December 31, qualifies you for prizes. Plus, your donation will be partially matched, which increases the impact of your gift.

Click on the image above to go to the donate page and select AWEE, #147 as the recipient. And please, tell your friends!

Thank you for your support!

Profile of Success - Gail

This is the second of a four-part series honoring AWEE's Faces of Success. Part Two features Gail Rossi, a recent AWEE participant who has changed her life through accomplishments in the world of work.

Violence, drug addition, homelessness, prison and despair. This was the world Gail Rossi inhabited from the time she was 22 years old until she was nearly 50. "Growing up, I was taught that I was worthless unless I found a man to take care of me," she says. "So when men hurt me, I'd just turn to drugs. I never learned to care about myself."

At 31, Gail left her abusive boyfriend and became a single mother, leaving her infant son with her mother as she began a series of abusive relationships and crime-fueled drug binges. During the next two decades, she entered numerous rehab programs, relapsing 15 times in as many years. "I realize now that I really didn't want to heal. I wanted to be numb."

Instead, Gail wound up living on the street and was arrested more than 50 times. The low point came in 2005, when she was sent to prison for 18 months. That's when she learned about AWEE. Gail enrolled in AWEE's Paths to Living Free program three months after her April 2007 release.

AWEE stood by her every step of the way, making sure she received transportation assistance, clothes to wear to interviews, help with updating her resume and improving her interviewing skills, and ongoing career and personal mentoring. Soon, she found herself going on three or more interviews a day. In July 2007, Gail landed a new job as a legal assistant earning $40,000 at a local law firm. She's already earned a significant raise.

"Everyone at AWEE has been so kind and supportive. They gave me the confidence I needed to go out and rebuild my life,” she says. “I'm now able to support myself and contribute to my son's college education. I'm also taking college classes three nights a week so I can earn my degree. I'm so grateful for this second chance at a life I can be proud of. Thank God I found AWEE."

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Each year, AWEE serves over 6,000 individuals like Gail - for free. Without support from Corporations, foundations and individuals like you, these opportunities cannot happen.

Give the gift of hope, inspiration, dignity. Make a contribution today to empower women like Gail.

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Promote Your Business - Green Collar Job Fair

AWEE is hosting its first ever "Green Collar" Job Fair just after the new year! Green employers and educational facilities, take note - this is good news for you:

• Showcase your green business
• Get involved in the community (great for PR)
  
• Attract highly-motivated individuals to apply for your job openings/training programs
  
• Network with other professionals in your field

The event will be held Tuesday, January 6th from 9am to noon. For more details on how to get involved, read the press release, then contact our Job Developer, Anne Marie Sonnier, at 602.223.4348.

Be part of this groundbreaking workforce event!

Profile of Success - Dana

This is the first of a four-part series honoring AWEE's Faces of Success. Part One features Dana Whitworth, a recent AWEE participant who, along with her husband, has changed her life through accomplishments in the world of work.

Dana’s parents divorced when she was very young; so she was devastated when her mother died, leaving her in the care of a stepfather who was seldom at home. In her rage and grief, she got pregnant at 16 and struggled alone to make a life while supporting her child. Although she and her high school sweetheart eventually married and had two more children, her husband's abuse and physical violence soon became intolerable.

Fearful of leaving the marriage without achieving some measure of financial independence, Dana put herself through school and became an x-ray technician. This gave her the courage to call the police when her husband attacked her for what turned out to be the final time. He's been in and out of jail ever since and is no longer a part of her life.

Dana subsequently advanced in her career and met Jeremy, a kind and supportive man who she eventually married. But her joy at learning she would have a child with her new husband was shattered when the baby was diagnosed with life-threatening kidney problems. She subsequently lost her job when her employer learned she would have to spend the remainder of her pregnancy in bed. As luck would have it, Jeremy lost his job soon after.

When Dana and Jeremy came to AWEE in November 2007, they were in danger of losing their home and at their wit’s end at their inability to find jobs. All of that changed when they enrolled in AWEE's career success steps workshop. "We both learned so much from AWEE, not just about how to market ourselves, but about what we are capable of achieving," says Dana. "It made all the difference in the world."

Since then, both she and Jeremy have found jobs, their baby’s health has improved and Dana has started taking classes to become a registered nurse. "AWEE helped us make a budget and covered our childcare expenses for a month after I started my new job,” she says. “They even made one of our mortgage payments so we could get back on our feet. Thanks to AWEE, we're back on track."

Congratulations to Dana!

AWEE supports approximately 6,000 individuals like Dana each year. To continue providing these services to all who need them, we rely on community support. Please consider making a gift to AWEE through the button below.

Thank you for your support!

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