Working Towards Change

Through Pathways to Progress, Tyra was able to apply for and receive disability benefits, and through connections with her Member Advisor was able to find part-time work which meets her needs and allows her to gain modest supplementary income. She worked hard to combine her skills in ways that would both promote her economic stability. She attended Member workshops, learning about budgeting. She saved through the “Savings Jar Challenge,” which provides matching funds up to $100 for Members in the program. Her benefits, new job, matched funds, and newly structured budget, with support from her Member Advisor, allowed her to save enough to purchase a car through a connecting agency. This has significantly increased her quality of life. When asked about her experience in the Pathways to Progress, she talks about her work on her budget and the many new life skills that she is able to use every day. She says, “The program has helped me become accountable to myself. I have accomplished the goals I set out to do, and it feels amazing!” Tyra will be one of the first program participants to graduate from Pathways to Progress this fall.