My United Way trains people for the jobs they need.After a work accident left me unable to take care of my family, I was at a loss and felt like I had nowhere to go. It’s hard to imagine what I would have done without the support of the two United Way-funded programs that helped me get my life back.”
Ken Tubbs had always loved his job as a skilled laborer. He loved the combination of working with his hands, interacting with people and successfully seeing a job through from beginning to end. He could never imagine himself sitting behind a desk all day.
Then came the devastating two-story fall off a ladder that broke his right leg in three places and shattered his left ankle. The devastating accident left him physically and emotionally broken. Workers’ compensation helped pay the bills for a year, then he was left on his own with no idea how to help support his family. He struggled with pain, depression and an overwhelming sense of loss.
When Ken met Mary, a career counselor at Jewish Family Services, and she handed him her business card, he was more than skeptical. But with few choices in front of him and a push from his wife, he reluctantly went to see her. She became his angel, helping him discover new interests, skills and a sense of purpose for his life.
With Mary’s encouragement and support, Ken enrolled in Per Scholas, a free program designed to help unemployed and low-income adults by providing technology education, access, training and job placement services. After eight weeks of intensive hands-on training, he graduated at the top of his class with A+ certification, and was soon working for $11 and then $17 an hour.
“Mary didn’t let me sit idle. She helped me get my drive back, and Per Scholas gave me something to work towards,” says Ken. “It was a really proud moment when I earned that certificate in IT. Now I’m marketable, I have my life back, and I’m able to take care of my family.”
Today, Ken has set his sights on letting others know that help is available and programs are in place to help people who are struggling like he was. He’s also rebuilding donated laptops to give to low-income kids. “That’s how I want to give back,” he says. “And if it wasn’t for programs like these, I wouldn’t be in that position now.”
