 Success:
Amanda Beckner
Made a Difference to That One!
May 2006
Summary:
Amanda Beckner has gone from being Families First client to being an intern at
the Dept. of Human Services. We and our partners were able to help with
training, a job recommendation, appropriate work clothes, and car repairs.
 Amanda Beckner started our ECS work training classes in July of 2005.
She was a client of
Families First ,
a state program for people who are unemployed and receiving a monthly check
from DHS (Tenn. Dept. of Human
Services). Cumberland Good
Samaritans is contracted to work with Families First clients to help them get
training and jobs.
Amanda was
separated from her husband and had moved back home to her parent’s house where
she shared a bedroom with her two children. She was very bright and wanted
to continue her education to be either a teacher or a social services worker.
Since a degree for either would require several years of school, we knew she
would need to obtain some type of employment. Amanda lived in Bledsoe Co. and
there are very few job opportunities available.
In October Amanda decided to
take an 18-week Medical Billing night class at Tennessee Technology Center,
which was sponsored by DHS. Medical billing is a big
field to get into right now and she had hopes of working as a Medical Biller
while she continued her education. Amanda did really well in class and soon
became the teacher’s assistant. She graded papers, created study guides and
helped tutor students that were having a difficult time. Amanda did so well…
she started contemplating teaching the class at the vocational school in Dunlap
after she had obtained her certification. Good Samaritans really encouraged
this as we knew she would do great.
In December DHS asked us for recommendations for an
internship position. We recommended Amanda and she was offered a one year internship with
DHS, working in both Sequatchie and Bledsoe County. She would start out making
over $9.00/hr with the possibility of being hired permanently at the end of the
year. This was ideal!
Our Client Barrier Fund helped Amanda get appropriate work
clothes.
Now Amanda needed transportation. She
had a car but it needed a transmission which would cost over $1000.00. After
lots of paper work, phone calls and hard work, we were able to partner with DHS
and Linary Church of Christ
to come up with the needed monies. Amanda took the
job and continued her class at TTC.
Amanda completed her class in March and passed with an A
average. She is currently working at DHS and doing exceptionally well. Since
going to work, Amanda has been able to move out of her parent’s house and into
her own home. She also has the security of knowing that if the internship does
not turn into a permanent position, she has the Medical Billing to fall back
on. She is still considering teaching a night class as this would give her
teaching experience and extra spending money.
|
