Gillette

# of Kids: 1 Previous Occupation: Unemployed Previous Wage: Unemployed Current Occupation: Resource Development Specialist, United Way of Campbell County Current Wage: $2,600/month Breanne completed Climb's Professional Workflow Specialist training.

“I was feeling really frustrated that I just couldn’t find the right job for me. At times I was really hard on myself. Then we did this activity where we had paper plates on our backs and everyone in the group wrote something positive about each of us. When I saw what they wrote, it was so uplifting. I still have that plate—it’s hanging up for when I start to feel upset or down. Climb’s training helped me overcome some of what was holding me back. My job now is great because I get to give back and help people in the community who are struggling like I was. I have become a better me for my daughter. I love her seeing my happiness. Climb has given this light in our lives that is never going to be dimmed.”

# of Kids: 2 Previous Occupation: Unemployed Previous Wage: Unemployed Current Occupation: Driver and Warehouse Technician Solving Tech Current Wage: $49,400/year Brittany completed Climb's Commercial Driving (CDL) training.

"Before Climb, I was struggling to make ends meet and pay my bills. I knew a few women who went through the Climb program and they encouraged me to do it. I was excited to get my CDL license and have a job with some physical activity involved. It was eye opening to be in Climb with other women and hear what they had gone through – it gave me perspective. I am still in touch with several of the other participants from my Climb program. Through life skills classes, Climb taught me how to handle tough situations – how to handle stress in the workplace, and how to communicate effectively. The group and individual counseling was really helpful – knowing that there was someone who you could trust and who you could tell anything. Today I am in a job where I do something different every day and I work with great people. I am working on buying a new house. I have two sons and I am able to spend more time with them, taking them on vacations and doing fun activities outside like swimming. It makes me happy to see my kids happy!"

# of Kids: 4 Previous Occupation: Retail Previous Wage: $17,721/year Current Occupation: Concrete Driver/Pete Lien & Sons Current Wage: $46,800/year Lori completed Climb's Short-Haul Truck Driving (CDL) training.

“When my mom moved to Wyoming, she had $20 to her name. We were four months behind on rent, two months behind on our truck payment, and had sold almost everything we had. My younger siblings and I told her to check out Climb and go for it. We all just about fell over with excitement when we found out she’d been accepted. We were really proud of her. Climb wasn’t just a truck driving school. It helped her deal with things she’d encountered in life that are more important than how to drive. Her job is very physical, but Climb equipped her emotionally, too. The biggest change in my mom is that Climb really improved her self-esteem. Now we work together at Pete Lien & Sons. My mom is making so much progress financially. I attribute a lot of what we have now to Climb. And my mom—she’s one of the strongest people I know.” — Zachariah, Lori's Son

# of Kids: 4 Previous Occupation: Unemployed Previous Wage: Unemployed Current Occupation: Apartment Manager, NEW Management Current Wage: $3,102/month Sara completed Climb's Professional Workflow Specialist training.

“As a mother, you have to try to hold yourself together when things are hard, but when you have to decide whether to keep the lights on or put food on the table, it’s extremely stressful. I had no healthcare, no PTO, no 401k. It was just take your paycheck and go home, and it meant relying on state support. At Climb, you have to open up and look at what’s held you back. You shed a lot of tears, but that’s part of growing with other people in a nonjudgmental environment. We’re not on any state assistance anymore, and it’s amazing to not have to rely on anybody. We don’t have to struggle to go to the grocery store or worry about new school shoes or supplies. There’s less stress and chaos—in my house and in my job. I just got married and life is good!”