SHS Helps Three Moms With a Path to a Brighter Future

Danielle Coin, left, with Michelle Keller, SHS vice president of patient services, a mentor and advocate for the 100 Jobs for 100 Moms program.

“I’m no longer afraid of the future.”

That’s Danielle Coin talking about what the 100 Jobs for 100 Moms program has done for her. Danielle, who has three children and is in substance abuse recovery, began working at Swope Health Services in August 2015, through the 100 Jobs program.

Through Amethyst Place, which runs the program, she found herself embraced in a community that offered help for what felt like insurmountable challenges — addictive behaviors that led to an eviction, debts and losing her kids for several months.

The non-profit Amethyst Place provided her transitional housing and access to education, including training through the Women’s Employment Network, before helping her find the SHS opportunity. Operation Breakthrough, an early education child care center in the urban core, helps with services for her kids.

Now, Danielle is a Patient Services Representative in SHS’s OB/GYN department. In her eight months on the job, she’s taken on a variety of duties: reception, scheduling, assisting patients in the office, making kits for various clinical tests, making labels for lab samples, and data entry work on customer satisfaction surveys. She’s excited at the prospect of training others on the survey process.

“I absolutely love it here,” she said. “I plan to stay here a long time.”

Danielle is one of three women in the 100 Jobs program working at SHS. Leslie Marrant and Erin Anderson joined SHS about two months ago, and both are working as customer service representatives.  Leslie and Erin have similar experiences with the program and offer similar praise.

Leslie Marrant

Erin works at SHS two days a week and also attends Penn Valley Community College where she’s pursuing an associate’s degree in science — a precursor to a planned transfer to study for a pharmacy degree.

“I love it. I love everything about it — I love the clinic, the girls I work with, the patients! I never thought I could do a job like this,” she said. “This program is definitely beneficial to me — it gives me esteem, and such a sense of self-worth. I needed that.”

Leslie is a licensed practical nurse with plans to go back to school for a Registered Nurse degree. She’s counting her days of sobriety — approaching 10 months — and focusing on her recovery.  She credits Amethyst House with helping her and her three boys, ages 10, 18 months and five months.

“I feel like I’ve got a winning lottery ticket,” she said. “It’s like a warm hug. That’s just what everyone needs sometimes.”

The Program

The 100 Jobs Program was the brainchild of Sister Berta Sailer, the co-founder and champion of Operation Breakthrough, said Julie Carmichael, Director of Programs of Amethyst Place.

From left, Julie Carmichael and Erin Anderson

“It’s supported employment,” Julie said, explaining that moms receive education, mentoring, guidance, transportation, education, child care and incentives. “It’s all designed to break the chains of generational poverty and addiction.”

The jobs program started with one mom and gradually grew into the current program, which now has seven employers who provide jobs for 24 moms. All of the participants are residents of Amethyst Place or have children enrolled in Operation Breakthrough.

Amethyst Place provides housing and more — a fully furnished and stocked apartment, refurbished computers, wi-fi, washers and dryers, plus on-site therapists, family care coordination, and health care provided by SHS.

Women in the program commit to making some significant lifestyle changes. In the first month, for example, women are required to meet a 6 p.m. curfew and are not allowed any visitors at the home. In the next month, visitors are allowed after they complete a background check. Gradually the restrictions ease, but the support and mentoring do not, Julie said.

The women set goals every month. The program offers incentives tied to the goals — up to $275 a quarter, based on attendance at work, that goes to pay rent or other bills, plus $300 a year based on job performance.

Julie notes that many of the women have suffered abuse or other trauma, in addition to their substance addiction challenges. Most have been homeless.

“These women have had so many barriers in their path,” she said. “We just help remove the barriers.”

And the result?

“These are the hardest-working women you’ll ever meet,” Julie said.

Looking toward the future

The three SHS participants all have big goals for the future. They’re committed to living up to Julie’s description, to achieving success in their jobs and raising healthy families. With the help of Amethyst Place, their SHS jobs and their newly developed self-esteem, their dreams are within reach.

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