Donna Roberts, along with her two children, had just survived six years in an abusive relationship and was homeless at the time she found CareerSource NEFL though Hope Florida – a community-based welfare assistance program that serves single parents, and individuals on government assistance, youth aging out of foster care and other individuals in need.
She attended a Recruitment Wednesday event at the Southside Career Center, where she accepted a job at TX Maxx and hoped to get her life, and career, back on track.
What she didn’t expect was suffering a heart attack two weeks into the job.
“I got through it okay, but it was very scary,” she said. “They’re monitoring me now and keeping me on medication to ensure I don’t have any more heart issues, but I was out of commission for about two months.”
When she recovered, Roberts resumed her job search – staying in touch with Susan Worzel, a Workforce Services Representative with CareerSource NEFL who works at the Southside Career Center on Beach Boulevard.
“She stayed in touch with me throughout her ordeal,” Worzel said. “Donna came back and attended another job fair in July, where she was hired by Woodforest Bank as a retail banker, which really aligns well with her previous experience.”
Previously, Roberts had a background in banking and had her own mortgage company for seven years when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. She became his caretaker until he passed away.
“My children were six years old at the time and I got into a situation where I wasn’t working and taking care of babies,” she said. “That’s a difficult situation to get out of, so getting a job was the key.”
She says the nonprofit Betty Griffin Center in St. Johns County also helped her obtain a restraining order and with legal assistance to leave the abusive environment, and would recommend anyone in her type of situation should turn to the organization for help.
Roberts, who started working full time at the bank in August, said she “really feels at home” in her new job.
“Everything went well with training and I really feel at home working in banking again,” she said. “Aleemah Nelson is my manager and we have a great working relationship.”
Roberts says that CareerSource NEFL proved to be a lifeline in getting through the medical emergency and into a stable job so he can provide a safe home for her family.
“I am so grateful to Susan and everyone at the organization that helped me achieve my goals,” she said. “As much as I tried, I don’t think I could have done this without the help and support from CareerSource Northeast Florida. A big thank you to them.”
Her advice to single mothers who find themselves in an abusive situation: “Don’t give up.”
My children and I are domestic violence survivors and I just want that to be an inspiration to others…that you can overcome it, start over again and create a better life of your own,” she said.