Angela’s Story: Supporting her family and finding employment, with help from Avivo

Angela is excited for her future now that she has a path to follow. “When I came to Avivo, I was broke and didn’t really have anything I could do for work,” shares Angela. “Now I know that I want to help people.”

Angela’s life has been full of major detours and roadblocks. She was in high school when became pregnant. A new mom at only 19, she didn’t have her high school diploma and didn’t know what she wanted in life.

“I was just hanging out with friends… I didn’t have a path and didn’t know what I wanted to do,” shares Angela. “Eventually, I decided I wanted to do better for myself.”

That’s when she was linked to Avivo by her county case worker.

“I was broke and I didn’t have anything I could do for work… Avivo was very helpful,” shares Angela. “I came with basically nothing, and Avivo helped me get my GED. I’d wanted that ever since I dropped out [of high school].”

“I came with basically nothing, and Avivo helped me get my GED. I’d wanted that ever since I dropped out [of high school].”

At Avivo, Angela entered Avivo’s youth programs, and her counselor helped not just with services, but also smaller things like care packages, food, and housing essentials. Then, with guidance from Avivo counselors, she entered and completed training to become a Personal Care Assistant.

“I got my GED, funding support for school, and anything else I needed in the process,” shares Angela. “I don’t have family I can call and ask for help, so Avivo really helped me… That’s a really big deal for me, especially with my baby.”

Now, Angela is working to take her next steps in life. She’s working toward her bachelor’s degree in business management, with hopes of growing her own business. Once she earns her degree, she’d also like to continue her education..

“After I get my degree I’d like to go to law school… I’d like to help people in that way.”

Interested in learning more? Find out more about Avivo’s Youth Employment programs here.