Lujwana

Thrown away is how Lujwana described her feelings after her job was eliminated during a corporate downsize. “I gave them 30 years of my life. I felt angry and deceived. I remember thinking, ‘Where do I go from here?’”

Lujwana was looking for ways to ‘retool’ her career and make herself more marketable. She found The Women’s Center. “Going through training—being around other people of all races, genders and socioeconomic backgrounds who were going through similar situations—made me realize I was not alone. The coach’s encouragement and the fellowship with others helped start to rebuild my confidence. I was so excited to learn new things and grasp new skills. My confidence went up 100%!”

But for Lujwana, the most surprising part of the program was the resources available to her. “My career coaches helped me find insurance and, most importantly, helped me enroll in the financial coaching program. Learning better money management truly gave me freedom and peace. I now have a better credit score, and even though I took a cut in pay, I actually have more disposable income because I’m managing my income better!”

“I didn’t realize how stressed I was before, but I feel such peace in my spirit. The anger is gone. I feel empowered. I’m taking control of my own destiny, and it feels good!”