Participant Stories – Christian Job Corps

CWJC Impacts Mom of Six, Bringing a New Hope for a Future Generation

November 25, 2024

A strengthened faith, a supportive faith family, and a hopeful future are all things Desiree Haller feels she gained by participating in the programs Christian Women’s Job Corps (CWJC), a WMU Compassion Ministry, has to offer.

Desiree grew up in Tennessee’s foster care system before aging out at 18 years old. She later moved to Louisiana to escape a domestic violence situation. There she met a friend who “was Jesus” to her. This person showed Desiree God’s love through constant hospitality and kindness. When this friend invited Desiree to church, she happily accepted the invitation. Desiree gave her life fully to Christ in 2017.

As a mother to five children, Desiree began to feel God calling her to make a change. She had been working with a Christian company for several years at this point, but it became clear to her that she needed to further her education to be the best example she could be for her children. Unsure where or how to begin, she reached out to her friend, who put her in touch with the CWJC site in Monroe, Louisiana.

After successfully registering and being accepted into this free program, Desiree began her journey to earn her high school diploma while pregnant with her sixth child. Being busy is an understatement to describe this season of her life, but Desiree trusted and leaned on God to help her put in the hard work necessary to achieve her calling. Some days she would work 12-to-16-hour shifts before picking up her children and then going to school. After two years, on May 23, 2024, Desiree proudly graduated with her high school diploma as her children cheered loudly from the audience.

Beyond a diploma, CWJC offered Desiree and her family hope. She was given the opportunity to share her testimony for the first time, which brought healing and inspired others. Her faith was challenged and strengthened through the devotions and times of prayer she was able to become involved in. As she described all CWJC provides to its participants, she said, “It’s more than just education. You build a sisterhood; you build a family.”

Now Desiree is registered to start her nursing degree at Louisiana Tech University. She is a proud and grateful alumna of the CWJC site in Monroe. She also earned membership in its honor society as a result of her work ethic, punctuality, and character. She hopes her story will inspire others to embrace change, put in hard work, and rely on the Lord through it all.

To see how you can play a vital role as Christian Women’s Job Corps and Christian Men’s Job Corps continue impacting people’s lives or to get in touch with a site near you, visit christianjobcorps.com.

Aubrey Morrow served as the marketing intern for WMU in summer 2024. She is a junior at Troy University.

WMU’s Sybil Bentley Dove Award Helps Mother of 3 Continue Nursing Journey

Published: July 19, 2024

Giselle Gonzalez-Rivera said she wondered if she was crazy going back to school in her late 30s with three young children.

But she found a group that encouraged her — Moving Forward Chattanooga, a Christian Women’s Job Corps site — and in April she finished her licensed practical nurse certificate at Chattanooga State Community College.

“Christian Women’s Job Corps encouraged and supported me so much,” she said of the group, which helps women with skills for life and work. “They saw the potential in me that I had not seen.”

Beth Ray, site coordinator for Moving Forward Chattanooga, said Gonzalez-Rivera “gives God glory for the whole process.”

“Giselle is a blessing to anyone she meets. She always has a smile and a kind word,” Ray said. “She’s a super sweet person with a sweet family, and she’s grown in her faith.”

When Gonzalez-Rivera came to Moving Forward Chattanooga, she began working on six weeks of personal development, which included communication and financial management. She also took an inventory to help her identify careers that interested her, and site leaders helped her find educational resources and funding for school.

Ray said in Gonzalez-Rivera’s early days there, she was shy and reserved, but she “has really blossomed since.”

Several weeks after finishing her licensed practical nurse certificate in April, Gonzalez-Rivera was named the recipient of the Sybil Bentley Dove Award, which the WMU Foundation gives annually to a recipient who desires to improve herself through the acquisition of skills or academic pursuits that will lead to self-reliant living or to give assistance and nurture to the development of her children.

This summer, Gonzalez-Rivera started the bridge program to start classes this fall at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to become a registered nurse. She said the award came at the perfect time.

“It has helped me so much,” she said. “When they gave me the award, I said, ‘Thank you Lord, this is all you — you saw how much I was in need.’”

Gonzalez-Rivera said she’s always had a heart to help others and knew that was her purpose in life.

“It is never too late to accomplish your purpose in life — some of us just move a little slower than others, and that is totally normal,” she said. “We are afraid of the outcome instead of trusting our Savior.”

Gonzalez-Rivera said she has learned to teach her three girls that with God, there are no limits to what they can do.

“We can reach the sky if we trust the Lord and He will guide us,” she said.

by Grace Thornton, The Baptist Paper

WMU Foundation Grants Help CWJC Sites Expand Their Reach, Deepen Their Help

Published: July 19, 2024

Peggy Meeks said Cross Walk to Life, the Christian Women’s Job Corps site she leads in Las Cruces, New Mexico, has one common need — English classes.

“Our group really is non-English-speaking people,” she said. “They’re comfortable in our smaller setting, whereas so many of them can’t go sign up for something at the community college — it frightens them. We want to take them as far as we can so then they have the confidence to move on.”

One big tool in that process is a new curriculum that Cross Walk to Life implemented this past school year.

“The other curriculum we were using, people weren’t advancing,” Meeks said. “We had a new volunteer who is a retired ESL teacher come in and say, ‘There’s much better curriculum out there than what you’re using.’”

Since Cross Walk to Life made the switch, students are advancing and gaining confidence, Meeks said.

Ministries Expand with Help of Grants

And thanks to a grant from the WMU Foundation, Cross Walk to Life will be able to broaden their class offerings even more. “The grant allows us to purchase four levels,” Meeks said.

In addition to the grant given to Cross Walk to Life, the WMU Foundation gave seven other grants to CWJC sites, which offer women the opportunity to reach their full potential and improve their situation through job and life skills training.

CWJC of McLennan County in Waco, Texas, plans to use it to provide support for students working toward their GED who may need qualified learning disability testing to receive accommodations for their needs.

Helping them get their GED in this way can “change the narrative of their education experience for the rest of their life” and “shift the education journey for an entire family,” said Paula Winstead, testing administrator of CWJC of McLennan County.

Gulf Coast CWJC in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, also plans to use their grant to help participants take the HiSET high school equivalency test and help with transportation to and from classes.

CWJC of Nacogdoches, Texas, plans to use their grant to purchase laptops for program participants to use in a computer lab. Christian Job Corps of Gregg County in Longview, Texas, also plans to use the grant to update a computer lab for the new Christian Men’s Job Corps component of their ministry, as well as hire a CWJC assistant who would focus on caring for alumni and former students.

RISE, a CWJC site located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and SWC Transformation Place in Chattanooga, Tennessee, both plan to use the grant to support their general operations and expansion as their participant numbers are growing.

And Women’s Learning Center in Monroe, Louisiana, to purchase more curriculum for their students so that each participant can have her own workbook. They also want to provide small rewards for their students’ accomplishments.

Charitable Donations Change Lives Forever

Peggy Darby, president of the WMU Foundation, said the gifts that support these grants make a big difference.

“Your gifts to the Sybil Bentley Dove Endowment help to support Christian Women’s Job Corps by providing scholarships to participants, program development grants for sites and a grant for Dove award recipients,” she said. “Whether you make a one-time gift or become a monthly donor, your support will help to change lives forever.”

by Grace Thornton, The Baptist Paper

Four CWJC Graduates Awarded Scholarships to Help with Next Steps

Published: July 19, 2024

Marie Beam says she’s always liked working on cars. She found out early on that she didn’t like being stranded — she’d rather be able to do something about it when her car had problems.

“I started learning how to do it myself,” she said.

Then she started helping the women in her apartment complex who frequently had car trouble.

“It’s something I love to do,” Beam said. “So I started thinking maybe I could do it as a career too.”

Through Christian Women’s Job Corps of Tyler, Texas, she’s had the support to enroll in college and start making that happen.

“I’ve got six classes left,” she said.

And thanks to the Faye Dove Scholarship, a gift provided by the WMU Foundation to help a CWJC graduate further her education, Beam now has money to buy the tools to finish her associate’s degree in automotive mechanics at Northeast Texas Community College.

The scholarship will also help her continue to provide support for her four children, who range in age from 2 to 12.

“Everything I learn, I get out there and show my kids what I learn,” she said. “Hopefully it’s the gift that keeps on giving.”

Beam was one of two recipients of the Faye Dove Scholarship this year — Evelyn Ribeiro, a graduate of Begin Anew Nashville, also received funds to put toward tuition at Middle Tennessee State University.

Ribeiro got connected with Begin Anew after coming to the United States from Brazil just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Through the program there, she earned her GED and began pursuing a career in nursing.

“Every opportunity that comes my way, I can see that God is behind it,” Ribeiro said.

Two other CWJC graduates — Laurien Assis of Begin Anew Nashville and Jacklyn Powell of Heart and Hands of East Texas in Lindale, Texas — also received a CWJC Academic Scholarship.

Assis will use the funds to continue to pursue her degree in business administration and management at Williamson College.

Studying there “aligns with my desire to fulfill God’s mission for my life, and I am confident that the college’s educators and resources, combined with the support from Begin Anew, will continue to guide me toward realizing this purpose,” she said.

Powell’s scholarship will help her pay for tuition and books at Tyler Junior College. After losing her husband, she walked through some dark times, including a night in jail and a journey to sobriety. At Heart & Hands of East Texas, she gained skills and confidence and surrendered her life to Jesus.

Currently, Powell lives with her parents while raising her two children, one of whom has special needs. Her goal is to become a counselor who can help others experience the love and hope of Jesus no matter what they’re walking through.

“My journey is not done yet, and I still have some things to do, but God is showing up and showing out daily,” Powell said. “I am blessed and have been born again through Christ.”

Peggy Darby, president of the WMU Foundation, said the gifts that fund the scholarships for Powell and the three other recipients make a difference.

by Grace Thornton, The Baptist Paper

Photo of Marie Beam courtesy of CWJC of Tyler, Texas

Ministry Helps Those Seeking Employment

Kim McDermott serves as administrative coordinator for Pivot ministry, a role supported by a recent site grant from the WMU Foundation. (Photo courtesy of Pivot)

Published: August 1, 2022

Kim McDermott had been unemployed for six months, steadily interviewing for jobs with no success, when a friend told her about the classes offered at Pivot.

“I heard about this and thought, ‘What’s it going to hurt? I’ll give it a try,’” McDermott said.

What is Pivot?

Pivot, a ministry that uses the Christian Women’s Job Corps classroom model with one-on-one mentors, has served women in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina, area since 2018.

Carol Polk, Pivot’s executive director, said it opened after two years of research, during which time they found that women with no dependents were often turned away by agencies.

“So that’s what we focused on,” she said. “We just had our fifth graduation.”

So far, Pivot has had a graduation rate of 75 percent — more than double what was predicted, Polk said. The women who come through the program learn life skills and job readiness, take part in regular Bible studies and have a personal Christian mentor.

“It’s an incredible ministry,” she said.

McDermott agrees. She said her experience as a participant at Pivot in 2019 was “amazing.”

‘Helped me get my confidence back’

“I thoroughly enjoyed every session,” she said. “I was beginning to think I was unemployable. Pivot helped me get my confidence back.”

And a few months back, McDermott became a part of Pivot in a new way — she’s serving in a part-time role as administrative coordinator.

“I’m loving what I do here,” she said.

Her role is supported by a site grant from the CWJC/CMJC Endowment that the Woman’s Missionary Union(WMU) Foundation recently awarded to Pivot, a gift Polk said they were “blown away” to receive.

Pivot Plus

The grant is also supporting Pivot’s new alumnae association, Pivot Plus, which offers graduates a chance to stay connected and participate in Bible study and further professional development. Two volunteers have taken ownership of that new effort and run with it, Polk said.

She hopes it will help Pivot continue to come alongside women like McDermott over the long haul and offer support and community.

McDermott’s story has highlighted God’s faithfulness, and she has been a great fit for the Pivot team too, Polk said. She said McDermott’s computer skills are strong, she’s a great researcher and support person and has a cheerful demeanor and positive approach.

“She turned her life back around and now has two part time jobs and is faithful and dedicated and a joy to work with,” Polk said.

by Grace Thornton, writer for The Baptist Paper

WMU Foundation Scholarship Helps 2 Texas Women Take Next Step in Life

Published: July 13, 2022

Brianna Watts was stuck in a cycle. After growing up in foster homes then being adopted by an aunt as a teenager, she became pregnant at 17.

“I thought I knew what I was doing, and I didn’t,” she said. “I started partying and soon turned to drugs.”

Over the next seven years, she dealt with abuse “of every kind.” She became homeless, and she had more children who were taken from her.

“I wanted to get out, but I just didn’t have the resources and was extremely scared,” Watts said. “One night I wanted to quit partying and my fiancé didn’t. We got into a bad altercation, and he left me beat up in a hotel room with no money, no food and nowhere to go once again. I felt alone and helpless again.”

She cried out to God, and she felt Him prompt her to talk with someone who connected her with a rehab facility and drove her there.

“That next week I found out I was pregnant once again,” Watts said.

Getting clean

But this time, she had help. The rehab program — called Gateway of Hope — helped her get clean, and she took classes and graduated from Transformation Pathway Christian Women’s Job Corps of Dublin, Texas. She has custody of two of her children, joint custody of another two and is able to periodically see a son who was adopted by a family.

“I am doing so much better in life, and now I want to pursue college while I have two more years left at Gateway of Hope, so that way when I graduate there, I will have a career laid out for me and be able to provide for my family and finally gain some independence in life with a great support team for whenever I need them,” Watts said.

One way she’s able to do that is through the Faye Dove Scholarship recently awarded to her by the WMU Foundation.

Juanita Brawley, executive director of Transformation Pathway, called Watts a “dedicated, bright and pleasant young lady” and a “strong leader.”

“She came to class eager to learn and grow,” Brawley said. “Brianna always has a smile and is willing to help her classmates. I have witnessed her spiritual growth this semester as she has become dependent on God’s will for her future.”

Catalina’s story

Catalina Cormack, another Transformation Pathway graduate, also received the Faye Dove Scholarship.

Cormack migrated to the U.S. from Mexico at age 21 and raised her son, who is now a Marine. She’s still raising her two youngest children.

Her mother, who passed away in May 2021, saw the signs for Transformation Pathway and suggested she take classes.

“This fall I graduated from CWJC, and I know my mother would be proud of me,” Cormack said.

Now she is preparing to attend Ranger College.

“I know that my Creator has a plan for me,” she said. “I know education will prepare me.”

Barbara Yoder, an instructor at Transformation Pathway, said Cormack is a “hard worker” and a “team player.”

“Her verbal communication and testimony inspired us all,” Yoder said. “Everyone marvels at her work ethic and the amount of work she accomplishes.”

by Grace Thornton, writer for The Baptist Paper

Two TN women pursue life-changing education with help from WMU Foundation scholarships

Published: July 11, 2022

When Laurien Assis moved from Brazil to Tennessee to become an au pair, she brought something with her — a heart full of lessons from her parents.

“My parents have always been simple people who never had the opportunity or finances to pursue higher education,” she said. “Nevertheless, they sacrificed greatly to excel in their trades and provide a better life for their children. From a young age, we were taught the importance of faith, integrity and a strong work ethic.”

Assis said she knew when she arrived in Tennessee with little English and no knowledge of the culture, she was going to have to lean into those things if she wanted to make it.

“In a time of such anxiety and sacrifice, I learned just how important my God, family and values were to me,” she said. “Looking back, I am proud of the courage I had to overcome these obstacles and how determined I was to improve myself.”

That continued as she practiced her English, cared for her host family’s seven children and pursued a high school diploma. Her Tennessee family’s care for her was “the biggest proof of God’s love for me,” Assis said.

The second biggest was Begin Anew, a Christian Women’s Job Corps site that provides education, mentoring and resources for individuals who need help to overcome the obstacles caused by poverty.

“When I decided to get my high school diploma in the USA, Begin Anew was the program that appealed to me the most,” Assis said. “I was excited to study in a place that shared the same values and religious foundation that I was raised with. While studying at Begin Anew, I was able to improve my English tremendously and make lasting friendships.”

Bridging the gap, providing resources

And now the Academic Scholarship given by the WMU Foundation, a Baptist missions foundation established by national Woman’s Missionary Union, is helping her pursue a college degree in business administration.

Tracey Gholson, former program director for Begin Anew, said Assis is “an excellent example of how CWJC can bridge the gap and provide the resources and encouragement that one might need to achieve their goals.”

“I am amazed by this young woman from Brazil who has a strong desire to learn, a determination to succeed and a deep faith in God and God’s plan for her life,” said Gholson, who served as one of Assis’ tutors.

Julie Russell, another former Begin Anew program director, said she’s also proud of a second Begin Anew graduate — Margareth Caballero, who is this year’s Faye Dove Scholarship recipient.

“She was a joy to work with, and she was determined,” Russell said.

Caballero said Begin Anew has impacted her life in many ways, but the biggest was giving her the opportunity to earn a high school diploma online.

“It was a blessing to be able to do all my classes online, as I was able to work full-time and take care of my daughter,” she said.

‘Big dreams’

Russell said Caballero is dedicated, as she earned her high school diploma in less than a year and completely virtually.

“She has big dreams and the dedication to go along with them,” Russell said, noting that every Monday, Caballero attended Bible study via Zoom with her daughter in her lap, and that was a step along her journey of figuring out what God wanted her to do with her life.

Caballero’s desire is to use the funds from the scholarship to help with cosmetology school, which will help her have a more flexible schedule as she works and cares for her two children.

She said she’s so glad she found Begin Anew.

“To this day they keep providing me with support and resources to make my life easier,” Caballero said. “I have always believed in God and that He has a purpose for me, but Begin Anew made me believe in people again. I had lost faith in people, and it was hard for me to trust that there were still good people out there.”

Russell and the others at Begin Anew “gave me hope again,” Caballero said.

by Grace Thornton, writer for The Baptist Paper

Waco Women Finds Hope Through Christ And New Calling Through CWJC

Published: June 27, 2022

Sara Aguirre’s early years in Houston, Texas, were full of trauma, abuse and exploitation, about as bad as it could get. And that didn’t change as she grew up.

She was placed in a girls’ home at 14, then moved in with her older sister in Waco at 15.

“During my time in Waco I continued to use substances to cope with the trauma and almost died from alcohol poisoning,” Aguirre said. “I only remember waking up in the hospital room with tubes pumping out all the toxins my body consumed. I attempted suicide to end the emotional pain I was enduring. I felt hopeless.”

But not too long after, she heard the gospel for the first time. Even though she felt out of God’s reach, she felt drawn to Him and became friends with some students at Baylor University who took her to church with them.

And after about a month, Aguirre gave her life to Jesus.

“I remember a peace that I have never experienced before. The joy of the Lord broke the feelings of hopelessness…I would spend hours at the church prayer room soaking in the presence of God,” she said.

She started serving in the church, went on several missions trips and had a passion to share the gospel with everyone she could so they too could be healed and restored.

But she would find soon she too still needed some healing.

“After years of walking closely with God and being involved in the church, my mother passed away,” Aguirre said. “Her passing brought up tons of past pain. I thought as a believer that stuff is not part of my life anymore, it was dusted under the rug.”

And when she realized she still had trauma to deal with, she became angry with God, and her heart drifted from Him.

“What God set me free from I quickly fell back into. I started using drugs, self-harming, sexual sin and battled with bulimia,” she said. “These addictions almost cost me my life. My body was shutting down from the eating disorder and drugs. My doctors were concerned and didn’t think I would make it if I didn’t get treatment.”

So in 2014, Aguirre entered a long-term recovery home called Grace House, where she began to deal with her past pain and the root of her addictions. While she was there, she found out about Christian Women’s Job Corps of McLennan County.

“I came to CWJC kicking and screaming. I had trust issues,” she said.

But she realized soon that God was bringing more healing to her life. She finished the Career Track program there, worked her way through financial literacy, computer and job skills and resume building. She reenrolled in college and started working toward a degree in social work.

“I’m glad I didn’t run away from the amazing opportunity,” Aguirre said. “I came to CWJC with no direction or self-esteem. During my time at CWJC, my confidence grew, and I began to dream again. After completing the program, I had confidence and built my character.”

She also took a position as administrative assistant/receptionist at CWJC, which grew into a position as programs director and site coordinator.

Lydia Tate, executive director of CWJC of McLennan County, said Aguirre’s “care for each woman who walks through the door is breathtaking and honoring to each woman’s journey—everyone loves Sara at CWJC.”

Tate said Aguirre’s own journey has served as a sign of hope for the women who come there.

“Sara holds a life-changing testimony of God’s grace and goodness working in one woman’s life through the care of CWJC to bring about a full change from drugs, alcohol and suicide to a fully licensed social worker who wants to specialize in recovery and poverty alleviation.”

Aguirre completed her master’s degree this spring and is now working on her licensing with help from a recent honor. In late April, she was presented with the Sybil Bentley Dove Award, which the WMU Foundation gives annually to a recipient who desires to improve herself through the acquisition of skills or academic pursuits that will lead to self-reliant living or to give assistance and nurture to the development of her children.

The award comes with an endowment that will help pay the costs of getting her licensing finished as she moves into a new role as director of early intervention for Unbound Austin, an organization that fights human trafficking. She’s also getting married in October.

“God has opened so many doors, Aguirre said, and help from CWJC has “literally brought me out of poverty.”

“It has really given me an opportunity to grow and taught me how to set up that nurturing environment for others so they’re able to grow and able to heal,” she said. “I have learned so many tools from CWJC.”

Laura Graves, a board member for CWJC of McLennan County, said Aguirre has “outstanding character, persistence and determination.”

“Knowing Sara for four years, I have personally observed her heart for Christ as she serves the women of Waco and surrounding areas,” Graves said. “Gracefully, Sara juggles work, family and school while pouring love and kindness into everyone she meets.”

Aguirre has hit many roadblocks in her life, but her faith keeps her going, Graves said. “She inspires me as she strives tirelessly to further her education in order to serve others and point them to Christ. Sara lives her life bringing hope and encouragement to those around her.”

by Grace Thorton, writer for The Baptist Paper

Funding for the Sybil Bentley Dove Award is made possible through the WMU Foundation.

STORY OF TRANSFORMATION: GINA

Published: April 1, 2022

Gina graduated from the Christian Women’s Job Corps (CWJC) site Prisoner Transformation, Inc. Helen Thornton, site leader said of Gina, “She has walked the path of incarceration, seeing the mistakes in her life, seeing the lack of Jesus and faith in her life, corrected all of these mistakes and is moving forward to tell others her life story. She is truly walking her testimony for others to see.”

In addition, Thornton added, “She is incorporating her story of addiction and release from that addiction through God’s power into her work and education to help others with addictions to turn to God for healing.”

Through her program, Gina received training to become a peer support recovery specialist. Today she works for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Using her own experience as a way to share the gospel, she helps other women stuck in the situation she once found herself.

Gina was the recipient of the Sybil Bentley Dove Award in 2020.

A STORY OF TRANSFORMATION: YVONNE

Published: March 17, 2022

Yvonne moved to New Orleans from New Jersey in 2001 to escape domestic violence. Through some hard years and then Hurricane Katrina, she ended up on the streets, homeless. In 2015 she dis-covered Baptist Friendship House and in July 2020 celebrated five years of sobriety.

Yvonne shares, “I accepted Jesus as my Savior in August 2015, and through His help and Christian Women’s Job Corps® at Friendship House, I have regained the many things the streets took from me. I realize what a good friend God is in my life, and He is the most important thing. I have gained my self-respect back, I have a home, I got my GED, I got my driver’s license back, I have gained skills to help me obtain employment, and I have become self-sufficient. Living on the streets and drinking can often lead one to focus on self. After becoming sober I have learned how to focus on helping others. I love volunteering at Friendship House and being able to give back to help others. I am grateful and continue to seek opportunities to grow and to better myself.”

Yvonne received the Faye Dove Scholarship from the WMU Foundation in 2018 and used her scholarship to enroll in culinary arts courses at the local community college. She has also taken a pottery class and used the skills she learned to help lead the group that is making pottery for WorldCrafts. She is an incredible light to the women in her community.