When Martha lost her job during the COVID-19 pandemic, she faced the difficulties that led her on a path of substance dependency and encounters with the court system. After losing custody of her three children, the South Los Angeles mother decided to start rehabilitation and JVS SoCal was there to help her along the way.

“I wanted to be stable and get a job, get an income, and have a better perspective of me, because I wasn’t the person that I was two years ago,” remembers Martha. “I had lost a lot of myself and my self-esteem, I fell into depression.”

Thanks to the help she received the America’s Job Centers of California (AJCC) in West Los Angeles, Martha is now working and getting closer to regaining custody of her children.

“I started using substances because of me being on the street,” explains Martha, “It really hit me hard… I was using substances.”

Concerned faculty at her children’s school reported her to the authorities, who followed her after a school drop-off and presented drug charges against her. As a result, Martha’s mother became the minors’ primary caretaker.

During her time in rehabilitation Martha began frequenting the AJCC, there, JVS SoCal case managers assessed her background and began steering her towards employers open to work with justice impacted job seekers.

Martha received help in completing applications for various roles, including some for temporary work in facility maintenance and as security for large events. When she was called back for interviews, her case manager coached her during the interview and throughout the background screening process.

“Work in security made me the person that I’m now because it’s a different environment,” explains Martha, who did not think she would be able to work such jobs given her prior record. She made sure she was a part of the team at every game, concert, and event she was called into by the staffing agency.

Eventually, when a recruiter at the University of California, Los Angeles, took interest in collaborating with JVS SoCal to hire highly motivated workers, a JVS SoCal team member who was assisting Martha at the time, saw an opportunity for her and others like her.

“Before I knew it, we were putting together a list of re-entry candidates” said the team member whose primary role was connecting companies with qualified candidates.

Martha’s case manager and her team worked together to give her the best change of securing a job at the University. Through specialized services, Martha accessed funds for professional clothing and auto repairs to ensure she had reliable transportation. After a series of interviews, Martha landed the job.

Now, working at the UCLA campus in Westwood, Martha enjoys working in the University’s cafeteria, where she meets students and helps them with choosing their meals. Those interactions bring job and positivity to her life. Most importantly, this new experience is helping her make progress in regaining her parental rights.