Denise’s Story: Defying Age
For 7 years, Denise was a full-time grandmother while her daughter held a job outside of the home. But this summer, Denise’s daughter decided she wanted to quit her job to stay home with the children. Denise panicked, knowing she would have to find paid work.
“Who wants to hire an almost 50-year-old person? I was scared, frustrated, depressed, mad, feeling useless. For a week I cried, cried, cried.”
Denise’s son Alex* was an EMERGE participant at the time. He told Denise to contact EMERGE, too. She wasn’t sure.
“I thought, oh, he’s young. They help the young people, they don’t help the old.”
Soon after, Denise stopped by EMERGE and met Mike West, EMERGE’s Career Coach. He helped Denise fill out several job applications. A few days later, she had a job offer from a transportation company – and before the start date, she had time to complete the New Beginnings Career Workshop.
Denise’s outlook on life has completely changed, “I don’t have to look at my age because I’m qualified to do whatever I decide to do.” When asked what advice she would pass on to others considering EMERGE, Denise shared: “You can work and you can provide for your own self and you can provide for your family. . . Don’t give up. Trust that you can do what you need to do. You can be where you want to be at in life. Your life matters – you can do it.“
