What an honor it is to watch the individuals and families we serve progress through our programs and reach their goals!
Achieving independence and self-sufficiency often breeds a new level of confidence and possibilities for the future. In many instances, there is unseen growth even after our guests are stably housed.
Last year, Family Promise of Morris County partnered with a program called Grow with Google (GwG), which offers free, formal IT education. Equipped with donated Chromebooks, eight women in our programs enrolled and enthusiastically began their IT journey.
Since the start of GwG, our guests—which are single women, single and married moms, and/or women who work full-time or part-time jobs—have enrolled in 10 courses and completed 9 of them.
The prospect of graduating with a certification in a specialized field of technology greatly excites them! This low-barrier program has made accessible the chance to work toward new goals and actively control the trajectory of their lives.
Jenny's Story
Recently, Jenny*, one of the participants from Family Promise, expressed her excitement about the GwG program to a customer at the bank where she works.
The customer happened to be an executive at a tech company who was just as excited. He quickly asked for her resume and if she would be interested in working for him!
Denise's Story
Denise*, another Family Promise participant, is flying through her courses.
She never graduated from high school and has not had the chance to satisfy her appetite for learning since—but the GwG program is helping her do just that!
A Lasting Impact
Upon receiving their certifications, each of the eight ambitious participants will have access to job opportunities in dozens of Fortune 500 companies that purposefully seek out GwG graduates!
The GwG program is just one part of their journey. Along with support and guidance from Family Promise, this program helped many of the women gain back their self-esteem and self-respect as they worked toward their goals.
Access to educational and professional opportunities is critical to long-term housing stability and empowerment, especially for women, who are at an increased risk of experiencing housing insecurity.
Grow with Google has helped open up doors for the women in our programs that will leave a lasting impact. We are so proud of their hard work and dedication!
*Names and photos have been changed for guest confidentiality.