At 24, Precious courageously ended an unhealthy relationship with her boyfriend knowing a brighter future lay ahead. “I felt so free once I left him. I felt like a bird,” she explained. “I was ready to start over and make a new life for me and my daughters.”
On her own and without a job, Precious joined YW Works (YWW), where a case manager helped her to enroll in school and start down a positive path. After being accepted into a community health worker program, YWW connected Precious to some part-time positions where she gained valuable work experience as she pursued her education.
After a year at YWCA St. Paul, Precious received her Nursing Assistant Certificate from Minneapolis Community & Technical College and landed work as a personal care attendant. “The staff at the YWCA gave me confidence and encouragement,” she said. “Without YW Works, I would be in a different place.”