As a Golden Cross ministry, Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House is called to provide support services to the East St. Louis community. For many in the community, daily life is a constant struggle. However, through our programs we strive to transform lives for those we serve. One of those life-changing transformations came in the life of Angelita.
Angelita had a rough start in life. She was mixed up in drug use and much more. However, when her father died, she had a wakeup call and knew she would have to get by on her own. She didn’t know where to turn. But thanks to the Job Training Program she found a job, a career and a purpose.
Her journey started with an initial orientation at Southwestern Illinois College with Orlando, her career navigator.
“…It was there that I found out about the various certification programs provided through the Adult Basic Education Department and CNC stood out to me. CNC stands for Computer Numeric Control,” Angelita said. “Classes weren’t starting for a while, but I needed work ASAP with bills piling up. The Job Program insured I had a current resume and helped me find a job right away with Express Medical Transporters. It was a great job! Most of the time I transported kids back and forth to school. It was sad when the summer came because worked slowed down. It was a good think my classes started not long after.
“When classes started, I had no clue what I was going to learn, but I knew I had the support of EPIC and my instructors to continue to encourage and motivate me. As of December 2017, I successfully completed my certification in CNC with a 3.6 GPA. Now, I am working as a machinist in Alton, preparing for the upcoming semester where I am proud to say I will be working on my Associate in Applied Science in Precision Machining Technology.”
When you give to Golden Cross you are helping people like Angelita and many others at the ten Golden Cross ministries across the Illinois Great Rivers conference.
By Lisa Graves
Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House