Teton Area

# of Kids: 2 Previous Occupation: Part-time administrative Previous Wage: $1,275/month Current Occupation: Bus Driver, Sublette County School District #1 Current Wage: $2,570/month Christina completed Climb's Commercial Truck Driving (CDL) training.

“At first, I was terrified to drive a truck and would tell myself ‘I can’t do this,’ as I sat frozen behind the wheel. But having the other women in my group encourage me was really important. Also, my counselor was someone I could always talk to and not feel judged. All that support got me through, especially my kids saying, ‘Mom, you got this!’ I went on to earn both my Class A and B driving certifications. Now I’m super confident getting into that truck. I’m not nervous, not at all. I feel a huge change in my confidence overall. Nothing is holding me back now.”

# of Kids: 3 Previous Occupation: Housekeeper Previous Wage: $364/month Current Occupation: Front Desk Receptionist, Emerg A Care Jackson Hole Current Wage: $2,946/month Gloria completed Climb's Medical Office Careers training.

“I was working in housekeeping before Climb. It was stressful because I did double shifts so was working in the morning and then at night. I didn’t see my kids and they would always ask, ‘When are you coming back?’ They didn’t want to go to school and were fighting a lot. I was mentally and physically drained. At Climb, it was okay to say what you thought, and there was no judgment. We got connected to community resources like counseling for my kids. It used to be that I’d ask for help and get down about it—now I can pick up the phone. I’d never had a mock interview, it was always, ‘Here’s a job you’re stuck with it.’ I have such great healthcare benefits now. I’m not as tired as I was and have energy to go home to my kids.”

# of Kids: 2 Previous Occupation: Part-time cleaning and maintenance Previous Wage: $953/month Current Occupation: Fastrax Permit Service, LLC Current Wage: $3,120/month Kate completed Climb's Office Careers training.

“To the people who invest in Climb, I want to say that Climb is so helpful to families who really need it. It changes lives. I was working three part-time jobs that just weren’t doing it for our family. My daughter was getting bad stomachaches from the stress, and our living situation was not great. The women in my program had so many different stories— but I can truly say that we ALL came away with more confidence. Climb has given us the ability to hold our heads high and figure out our lives. You have given us the tools to provide for our families.”

# of Kids: 1 Previous Occupation: Food Service Previous Wage: $1,102/month Current Occupation: Receptionist, Women's Health Center and Family Care Clinic Current Wage: $2,773/month Karina completed Climb's Office Careers training.

“I was born in Mexico City and moved to the U.S. with my family. I worked for many years at a local restaurant, but when my son was born, my 12-hour shifts meant that I never saw him. I cried every night when I came home because he didn’t want me to hold him. I didn’t think he loved me. Climb was my first time in counseling. It allowed me to finally talk through past trauma, and Climb referred me to continue my therapy, something that has helped me find success in my personal life and at work. Life is a lot better for us. My new schedule has me home with my son so much more. He’s happier—I can tell he’s glad that momma is with him. For me, Climb wasn’t just about the money, it was about that time with my son.”