Meet Elizabeth

Elizabeth was working as a nanny, a job she held for seven years, when the pandemic began. A month later, she was out of a job, applying for unemployment and struggling to keep her seven-year-old engaged in remote learning.

As she started to fall behind on rent, Elizabeth worried she and her son would not be able to stay in their home. She read about Cara through a friend’s social media post and immediately applied.

“Being a single parent is hard as it is. Dealing with the pandemic hit us so hard. We didn’t know how we were going to survive. If we didn’t have Cara, we would be destroyed right now.”

Elizabeth, Cara Class of September 2020

In November 2020, Elizabeth worked with Cara to apply for and get accepted into Chicago Transit Authority’s Second Chance program. Her background made it difficult to find new employment, but this program gave her the opportunity to work for a company she had long admired.

While working as a CTA apprentice, Elizabeth completed her Commercial Driver’s License and just started her new role as a bus operator. She loves her job with CTA and plans to work with them for years to come.

“The greatest lesson I’ve learned this year is to be alert for those emails, those calls. Even if you miss a call, call them back. Keep your head up, go for what you want, and I’m pretty sure it’ll come to you.”

Your support guarantees people like Elizabeth find a new beginning and transform their lives through quality employment. Click here to help someone transform their life.