(from 5/15 event)

I moved to Bellingham 35 years ago. 5 years after moving here, I became a single mom. I worked up to 4 jobs at a time to survive and taking care of home - rent- childcare - food - clothing etc. When the economy crashed in 2008, I ended up almost homeless. I lost my home - most of my belongings - everything. A friend told me about an opportunity to join a trade (carpentry) out at the refinery. Being a woman, I had not thought of trades apprenticeships. That apprenticeship changed my life. My first paycheck was more than what I made with 3 regular jobs here. I have seen them change lives for many and uplift communities out of poverty while working with City of Seattle. Their CWA (community workforce agreement) opened up opportunity to so many disadvantaged and underserved communities. In return, those neighborhoods are now flourishing. I could go on and on: I currently work with schools - Tribes, Department of Corrections, and other underrepresented groups to find pathways tp apprenticeship. Build our community and the people in the community at the same time. Thank you for reading.