Rogerica is a mother of three who after serving honorably for 8 years as a military police woman, struggled to find work as a civilian. She was living in Georgia at the time and dreamed of becoming a correctional officer. With no prospects and her financial resources drying up, she ultimately decided to move with her fiancé, three kids and dog back home to Durham, NC with the hope that her family would provide some support until she could get on her feet. Sadly, she was not able to depend on family assistance like she had hoped and eventually became homeless.
She lived in and out of hotels for a time, doing what she could to research job opportunities and attend interviews. But nothing stuck. Desperate for support, Rogerica was referred to our Volunteers of America location in Durham. In August 2019, she enrolled into our Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) for employment assistance and our Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) Program for housing support. Between these two programs, our staff were able to provide Rogerica assistance with job searching, resume writing, transportation, food, clothing and rental assistance.
After several months of job searching, Rogerica was thrilled to land her dream job as a Correctional Officer at the North Carolina Department of Public Safety in December 2019, just in time for Christmas. Working alongside local churches, Military Missions in Action and other community partners, our staff ensured that Rogerica had everything she needed to complete her onboarding and move her family into permanent housing.
“Volunteers of America helped me to obtain financial stability for my family and I this past year. I especially want to thank my employment specialist, Ms. Tracey Violette, who helped my family and I tremendously!”
Rogerica continues to work at the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. As of March 2020, she is no longer in need of rental assistance and has been living independently and free of anxiety with her family.