Rebecca's Story

“There are always going to be barriers. You’ll always get discouraged because it’s human of us to be discouraged. But don’t give up,” Rebecca says as she tells her story. Prior to purchasing a car from ChangingGears, Rebecca had to borrow a car from friends and use public transportation. Even with a good support system of people, getting back and forth to work without reliable transportation was challenging. Thanks to CityLink Center and ChangingGears, she’s living her life with no limits.

Rebecca left home at 16, so she had to start working and earn her GED instead of attending high school. “Before I found a job, I allowed the streets to guide me down the wrong path which landed me in jail.” Rebecca lost 10 months and lacked the training and skills to start a career. She trained in IT but her criminal record haunted her. “There were so many doors shut in my face,” she recalled. 

Released in 2017, Rebecca found a path forward through the CEO program at CityLink Center. In addition to enrolling in the construction training program, services like Smart Money and ChangingGears helped her get past other barriers to overcoming poverty. “I didn’t have any transportation. I was catching buses and taxis to get where I needed to go. ‘They helped me get a car so I was able to hold a job. With that, I was able to have reliable transportation.” Her new car enabled her to work a night shift so she could train and learn skills during the day. Upon graduation from Cornerstone Construction in 2018, Rebecca was hired at A&A Wall Systems where she serves as a Drywall Specialist. ‘I feel like I’m paid for my worth now and I’m proud of my work.”