Daisha Fitzgerald entered the ACS Hire Up Employment Program needing cosmetology certification and ACS staff encouraged Ms. Fitzgerald every step of the way! She studied hard and passed her certification exam. Because of her dedication and perseverance, Ms. Fitzgerald gained employment at a local salon, giving her the viable income she needed to move herself and her young son out of the shelter and into permanent housing. She continues to thrive and is now the proud business owner of her very own salon! (Check out this video to see how the Atlanta Children’s Shelter changed Daisha’s life! https://youtu.be/ttUVSi6NDTs )
Ms. Ronika Ward came to the Atlanta Children’s Shelter in August of 2013 seeking childcare for her two daughters after her family lost their housing due to lack of stable employment. Enrolling at the Atlanta Children’s Shelter, she utilized the Hire Up Employment Program to obtain full time employment as a paraprofessional. She also achieved permanent housing with the help of the ACS Keys to Independence Program. Last summer, Ms. Ward completed her life- long goal of publishing her life story, with Something to Make a Bird Sing.
Chiquita and her husband Terry came to the Atlanta Children’s Shelter in October 2012. Chiquita was out of work for several months due to medical issues and Terry had recently lost his job. The bills piled up leading to an eviction. At the Atlanta Children’s Shelter, they received services including free early childcare, career assistance with the Hire Up Employment Program, financial assistance for housing, and life skills counseling. With the extra support, Chiquita enrolled in college at Gwinnett Tech and Terry earned his CDL license at Georgia Piedmont Tech and started working in the trucking industry. In 2015 Terry was able to purchase his own truck and will be starting his own business soon.
Stanley Winfield Jr and Jacqueline Winfield entered our childcare program as a preschooler and infant in 2014. Our childcare staff spent time with Stanley before noticing he was experiencing difficulties with daily transitions and classroom interaction. Stanley received speech therapy through our partnership with Georgia State Educational Psychology & Special Education Department and as a result successfully transitioned to an inclusion program in the Atlanta Public School system. Jacqueline received support through Babies Can’t Wait, Georgia State Psychology & Special Education Department and is now thriving in the ACS preschool classroom. During this time, our Social Services Program guided Danielle and Stanley Winfield Sr. to stable employment and permanent housing – a place they call home.
