Lisa Finds Her Community
“Before I came to Cara Collective, my future didn’t seem bright at all. I was a couple of years out of jail, and I thought I would only be able to get dead end jobs. I was a single mother to five kids and I wasn’t bringing in enough income to sustain my family. I was overwhelmed. I needed help. I didn’t realize I needed a community behind me.
“One day, I saw someone picking up litter on the street wearing a Cleanslate vest, and that’s how I found Cara. It is hard to believe that was 18 years ago.
“I remember being scared to death when I walked into Cara. I was an introvert, so when I started going to Motivations and Transformations classes, it pushed me outside of myself. Miss Vicki’s classes helped me unload a lot of emotions that I didn’t even know I was holding on to, and because of that, I became so much happier.
“By the third week of Transformations, my whole class was opening up to each other. The experience got me ready to start working at Cleanslate.
“The first time I was assigned to a Cleanslate route, it was on 47th Street. I grew up on 47th Steet, and I didn’t want to go back to where I got involved with drugs or where I went to jail. I told Mr. Jesse that I couldn’t do it. I was going to quit.
“But Mr. Jesse told me I wasn’t that person anymore. ‘You have to approach it as the person you are today and not the person you were yesterday,’ he told me. His words made me realize I could do it; I could clean the neighborhood I grew up in. I felt empowered.
“After working at Cleanslate for a couple months, it was time to work with the Cara team on getting a permanent job, but I was so happy at Cleanslate—I wanted to work there long term. That was how I worked my way up from Lead to Crew Supervisor, then Area Supervisor. In that role, I loved teaching a three-day onboarding class to new Cleanslate participants. I got to help them apply the tools they learned at Cara.
“Today, I am a Senior Account Manager. I train and manage Crew Supervisors and teach them how to care for the neighborhoods and coach participants.
“When I think about my journey, I think about how my family and I grew up at Cleanslate. My kids and grandkids have always been so proud of me and grateful for how my career allowed them to go to school, have an income, and give back to our community.
“Two decades ago, if you had told me that I would have a job for 16 years, where I would be promoted four times and help others grow, I would never have believed you. Cara and Cleanslate prepared me for a world where I not only participate in life — I enjoy and share it with my family and my community.”
Lisa has been transforming her life at Cleanslate for 18 years. Your donation today helps other job seekers transform their lives at Cara. Click here to make your gift.
