Gillette

# of Kids: 4 Previous Occupation: Unemployed Previous Wage: $0 Current Occupation: Interstate Power Systems Current Wage: $3,520/month Carrie completed Climb's Professional Workflow Specialist training.

“My kids are extremely proud of me. I work in an enormous warehouse with engines of all sizes. Before, my kids were always worried about how I would pay for things. Our worries now are alleviated—little ones and big ones, too. I can now buy them school clothes that aren’t on sale or second hand. I have one daughter enrolled in school to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. They’re more settled because I am. It rubs off—my kids are sad when I’m stressed out. They see how hard I’ve worked to get to where I am today. I grew up in poverty, so it really was me being brave and bold to create a more hopeful future for my children after feeling so lost for a long time.”

# of Kids: 1 Previous Occupation: Part-time retail Previous Wage: $1,096/month Current Occupation: Collins Communications Current Wage: $2,773/month Stephani completed Climb's Professional Workflow Specialist training.

“Before Climb, I had been on food stamps and Medicaid, but I really wanted to break away from that. Climb gave me the ability to get off public assistance. That’s a daunting thing. Being able to support my child on my own feels so much better. My new job offers financial stability, full health insurance, and dental. I came from a pretty broken home, so that’s what you hope for as a mom—to give your kids a better life than what you had. I hope it paves the way for my daughter to know that she’s capable of doing anything as long as she puts work into it.”

# 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: 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!”

# 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