Success Stories

A happy, satisfied, working mother: Francesca’s story

3/27/2023

Francesca was new to the United States. She and her husband moved to Pittsburgh from Italy for her husband’s career. Francesca put her professional life on hold while they started their family.

After giving birth to her son, she felt isolated and lonely. She loved her son but didn’t want to leave her career behind. She found out she was pregnant with their daughter, but decided it was time to begin her job search with hopes to line up a job following her maternity leave.

“I knew I wanted to go back to work. It was very hard for me being a stay-at-home mom. I was very lonely,” Francesca remembered. “I started applying for jobs but wasn’t hearing back. I didn’t know what I was doing wrong.”

A friend told Francesca about PA Women Work. After refreshing her base-level career development skills in New Choices, Francesca signed up for 3 Cups of Coffee and was connected to volunteer mentor, Samantha Caruthers.

After working together on her resume, doing mock interviewing, and a few helpful discussions, Francesca obtained a job within her field. “I’m happy to have this job. It’s such a great starting point for me, and I can use my experience and knowledge,” Francesca said.

Ultimately, she is grateful for the allies and friends she met through her experience at PA Women Work. “During New Choices, I shared my experience with other women like me, going through the same things. And during 3 Cups of Coffee, Samantha was kind, open-minded, and so helpful,” Francesca shared. “I believe my kids need a mother that is happy and satisfied, and I feel grateful to be where I’m at today.”

Thank you to our 3 Cups of Coffee funders for making stories like Francesca’s possible: Arconic Foundation | American Eagle Outfitters Foundation | FedEx Ground | J. Jill Compassion Fund | Jack Buncher Foundation | CNX Foundation | Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation

2022 Empowerment award: nithya maneish

10/31/2022

When Nithya moved to the United States more than a decade ago, she put her career on pause to support her family. In 2019, she decided to begin her job hunt but found it difficult to navigate the online job search process. She was not receiving any responses to her job applications and was feeling frustrated. She discovered PA Women Work, where she participated in New Choices and 3 Cups of Coffee. She was connected to a volunteer mentor who helped her broaden her search, build her confidence and ultimately get hired in a new position where she is thriving.

2022 Empowerment award: christina gremba

10/31/2022

Christina battled a series of challenges as a young mom. Thanks to caring supporters along the way, she decided to take her life back and built a stable future for herself and her two daughters. After completing her GED and Associate’s Degree, she participated in PA Women Work’s New Choices program, where she built her professional skills and learned how to apply for positions that met her skillset. After obtaining employment, Christina kept moving forward and is now working on her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh with help from a PA Women Work scholarship.

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