I was a transitioning stay at home parent with a major career gap and had just moved back from living overseas and was feeling lost and overwhelmed. I was able to use both Maryland Workforce Exchange (MWE) and WorkSource Montgomery. My career was in a grey area of entry level to mid- level and with my
Jorge Luis G., an experienced dancer, dance instructor and event organizer from Peru, immigrated to the United States seeking safety. He approached Identity with a clear vision and dream “to promote Peruvian folklore culture through dance performances and art, initially in the State of Maryland, and eventually worldwide.” His journey is a testament of persistence
Ileana V. says she has an “entrepreneurial soul”, as she always enjoyed customer contact and providing items that would make people happy. A trained Management and Marketing professional, Ileana emigrated to the US to flee from instability and worked several jobs until she became a mom. But last year, family difficulties forced Ileana to search
Sinia M. has a talent for connecting with people. When she joined our Program, she had been out of work for more than a year and she desperately wanted to explore opportunities and be a part of a community. She eagerly embraced our first entrepreneurship workshop and instantly became a group favorite for her charisma
Jebreel joined Identity, Inc. when he first found out he was going to be a teen parent. He was 22 years old, working odd jobs, and his hours, which were irregular anyway, were cut during the pandemic. He had no means to provide for his new family. As a young father, Jebreel jumped at the
Eniola Oniya enrolled in Eckerd Connects Young Adult Opportunity program in April 2022. He was referred from Housing Opportunities Commission and was very excited to join our out-of-school youth program. During orientation, Eniola disclosed that he was diagnosed with Autism, which is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. His biggest fear was
Avani Brock-Brunner enrolled in Eckerd Connects’ Young Adult Opportunity Program in May 2022 in hopes to obtain assistance in securing employment and stable housing. Avani saw our flyer at the local library and during her intake appointment, Avani disclosed that she has a disability, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which made her eligible for
With COVID-19 surging through the country and our county in April 2020, the hospitality industry began to crumble. After more than 15 years at Marriott International, Jacob Vogelhut found himself out of a job like so many others. Navigating this new professional challenge was something that he was not looking forward to. Nevertheless, he embraced
