Dear Friend,

Her name may not be real, but her story is… Victoria is just one of the hundreds of women that Women’s Rights Information Center supported in 2011.  We want to share her story with you so that you will know how your contributions allow us to fulfill our mission to help women facing economic and social barriers regain the strength it takes to become independent, self-confident, and self-sufficient.

If you’ve already made a pledge, thank you for your generosity.  If not, will you consider making a gift this holiday season to Women’s Rights Information Center? No contribution is too small to make a difference.

Victoria came to WRIC after being unemployed for over a year and struggling to overcome many difficult challenges in her life.   Recently separated and raising two adolescent children on her own, Victoria was facing a number of obstacles to employment, including outdated work skills and a minor offense that was still showing up on background checks after nearly ten years.  But a determination to succeed and a strong will to end her dependence on welfare led her to our doors.  After a career review and assessment with WRIC counselors, Victoria set new goals and enrolled in our Office Technology job training program, where she sharpened her computer skills, and took advanced certification exams to become a Microsoft Office Specialist.  Being highly motivated, Victoria began her job search process before her training class even ended, participating in networking groups, interview coaching and updating her resume.  She also volunteered at the WRIC Front Desk to hone her on-the-job skills and demonstrate her knowledge of office procedures, sense of responsibility, and excellent work ethic.  Victoria’s potential to succeed was evident, and we continued to support her efforts by providing job leads, recommendations to employers, and a small financial grant to pay the processing costs to finally get her record expunged.  Within just four months, Victoria was hired as a full-time Medical Records Coordinator by a local health care agency, and was soon earning enough income to close her welfare case and begin providing for her family on her own.

Please feel free to share Victoria’s story and help us spread the word about Women’s Rights Information Center by forwarding this email to your friends.  It’s a small step that means a lot to our organization.

We look forward to sharing more success stories with you.

Sincerely,

Joan Grzenda, Executive Director

Liz Corsini, Board Chair

Si necesitas motivación, esta charla es para usted!
15 de Noviembre
4:00pm

Si tienes preguntas, habla con Diana Abreu
Women’s Rights Information Center
108 West Palisade Avenue
Englewood, NJ 07631
201-568-1166

Get Into It!!!

Divorce:
Planning For The New Beginning
How To Take Control Of Your
Financial Future
Wednesday November 9, 2011
12:00 – 1:00
Women’s Rights Information Center
108 West Palisade Ave
RSVP 201-568-1166

Friday, Oct 14th at 11am

Come meet Rebecca Altshul, Marketing
Specialist from Loving Care Agency Inc. to
learn more about how to become certified
as a Home Health Aid and the advantages
of being in this field.

To reserve your seat, please see Diana Abreu, Career and Education Counselor or call at (201) 568-1166.

$1.00 Donation to reserve seat

Congratulations to the August 2011 Office Technology Graduating Class for reaching a major milestone on their way to employment and new careers!

100% of enrollees successfully completed the rigorous 240-hour training program, with nine out of nine graduates all passing their Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification Exam, the most highly respected industry credential for office administration careers.

How did this happen?  At WRIC, we are always working hard to provide the best outcomes for our students, and since the beginning of the year, we have been implementing a series of highly effective, low-cost strategies designed at raising the achievement level for our students overall.  First, our new computer teacher, Shana Hall-Earl who is a Microsoft-certified Instructor, redesigned our curriculum and created cost-free digital textbooks with lessons and practice exercises downloaded to flash drives for each student.  Next, our second-floor training spaces were upgraded and transformed into “smart classrooms” with new seating configurations and high-tech projection systems enabling students to view screen shots from the instructor’s laptop computer and follow along step by step.  Then, a new test preparation software program was installed on all student computers that allowed for unlimited practice and instant feedback, which significantly helped to increase confidence and reduce test anxiety.  Finally, with all classes once again on site, our Training Counselor Martha Velez was able to spend more time with each student helping to solve personal challenges and overcome barriers, and inspire motivation to come to class and work hard everyday.

On Graduation Day, students presented their self-designed PowerPoint slide shows, through which they demonstrated not only their technical competency and computer skills, but just as importantly, the new level of confidence in themselves and their ability to achieve and succeed. The audience, which was filled with friends, family members and Center supporters, cheered them on.  “This is the first time I ever graduated from anything,” said one client, a former high school dropout.  “I feel absolutely amazing!”

Hace dos años atrás,  BW llegó al Centro  de Información de la Mujer en busca de mejores oportunidades educacionales. BW  quería inscribirse en las clases de inglés que el centro ofrece, pero trabajando como niñera su salario no era suficiente para costear las clases. BW decidió aplicar por ayuda financiera y fue galardonada con una beca del centro que le permitiría estudiar por un año.

BW era una estudiante muy dedicada y motivada, por lo mismo en menos de un año logró pasar del nivel 1 al nivel 3.  Como su manejo del idioma inglés había mejorado de sobremanera, BW se inscribió también en las clases de computadora que el centro ofrece logrando así alcanzar aún más su metas gracias a la beca otorgada.

BW nunca hablaba de su vida privada, aunque atendía a las clases de forma regular. Para una de las ya clásicas fiestas de final de clases, BW preparó  una comida deliciosa. “Este es un platillo tradicional de mi país”, dijo.  Agregó luego que no era difícil de hacer y que lo preparaba en forma regular para la familia con la que vive y para la cual también trabaja.

Un día BW  vino al centro a inscribirse de nuevo a clases, pero esta vez lo hizo en las clases de ciudadanía. BW, que había sido residente de Los Estados Unidos por cinco años, tenía que tomar el examen de la ciudadanía en abril del 2011.

Un día BW llegó a sus clases regulares con una gran sonrisa en el rostro. ¡Había pasado el examen! Tanto los estudiantes como la maestra, la saludaron con mucha alegría. Aquel día de la fiesta final, BW no sólo sorprendió a todos de nuevo con su magnífico platillo de lentejas, sino que además les contó  a todos su historia.

Durante el verano  iría a su país de origen y se casaría con su novio en una ceremonia tradicional. Después de eso, traería a su esposo con ella. Ahora, ella como ciudadana estadounidense, llenaría una aplicación ante inmigración para que su esposo pudiera venir a Estados Unidos y vivir con ella. BW estaba muy  emocionada. Les prometió a sus compañeros de clase y a su maestra traer fotos y videos de su fiesta de matrimonio. Agregó luego, que algún día traería a su esposo para que conociera el centro.

Click to see pictures after the jump! Read the rest of this entry »

Two years ago, BW walked through the doors of Women’s Rights Information Center.  She wanted to enroll in ESL classes, but working for a small salary as a nanny, she could not afford to pay for the full cost of classes. She applied for assistance, and was awarded with a WRIC scholarship that enabled her to study for a year.

BW was such a good student and so motivated that she advanced from Level One to Level Three in less than the year.  Since her English had improved that much, BW was also able to enroll in our ESL Computer class, and accomplish even more with her scholarship grant.

Always quiet, BW never shared much about her personal life, but she attended all the programs regularly.  For one of the end-of-classes celebration parties, BW made a delicious meal.  “This is a traditional dish from my country”, she said. She added that it was not difficult to make and that she prepared it very regularly for the family she lives with and works for.

One day BW came to register again for classes. This time she also enrolled for the Citizenship class. She already had a date for her naturalization test in April, 2011.  She had been a resident of the USA for about 5 years.

She showed up to classes one day in late April with a big smile on her face. She had passed the test! The teacher and students all cheered her. On the last day of classes, when the traditional party takes place, BW not only surprised everybody again with her wonderful lentils dish, she also told everybody her story.

She would go during the summer back to her country to get married in a traditional ceremony. After that, she would bring her husband back with her. Now she, as a citizen of the USA, could file a petition so he can come and live in the USA with her.

She was thrilled. She promised to bring true testimony of her wedding – all the pictures and video she can get!  She also said that, one day, she would bring her husband to visit the WRIC.