April uncovers the deepest truth of who she is

April, a Cara graduate who started her journey with us in April 2017, shares her journey of losing everything to realizing the deepest truth of who she is.

“I was a national award-winning writer with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Journalism from Columbia College. My future looked bright. However, my mother began showing signs of dementia. I had to make one of the toughest decisions of my life. I chose to put my career and my dreams aside and take care of her for more than ten years.”

I was lost

“I lost my mother in 2016. Although I knew she had been in decline for more than a decade, it was still such a jarring adjustment losing her. She was just gone like that, and after taking care of her for so long, I was tired.

“I was devastated. I was lost. I was depressed. I didn’t know how to pick up my life and move forward. I had spent every dime I had on her care and left both homeless and heartbroken. Because of the great sacrifice that I made for my mother, I was now in my forties with no family of my own. On top of that, the long career gap on my resume made getting back into the workforce very difficult.”

Who I really am

“In the spring of 2017, a social worker referred me to Cara and I enrolled in the four-week Transformations training. Every morning while I was getting myself ready for class, I could feel my mother’s presence, and it brought back memories of her getting me ready for school as a little girl. She would tell me that I was gonna have a great day!

“Cara helped me realize who I really am and that I am worthy of the best that life has to offer. Thanks to Cara, my mind was being renewed and I finally believed in myself again.”

A proud moment in my career

“Cara connected me to the Claridge House Hotel for full-time employment. I dove right in with my smile and positive attitude. I learned as much as I could in my new administrative role. I was never late and did not miss a day of work. They would call me to come in when one of my co-workers could not. Soon, I was able to get my own apartment and no longer had to be homeless.

“I still work at the Claridge House Hotel and in 2019, I was named Employee of the Year. It was such a proud moment in my career.

“Cara has definitely helped me uncover who I am. My name is April Memorie Knox. I am confident, creative, caring, and compassionate. All I needed was a positive push forward in life.”

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