Carol came by for food two weeks ago, shortly before the COVID-19 changes. She had never been to St. Francis House before and came to get food. Carol lives alone and lost Cjob in medical services over a year ago. A Philander graduate, she has a degree in Business Administration and has worked in a variety of jobs beginning with Our House as an Americare worker right after college.
“I had heard of St. Francis House while working at Our House, but never really expected to need this type of help. After a year of looking for a job, my resources are pretty much worn out! My parents used to be able to help sometimes, but my father’s hours have been cut and my mom’s a retired teacher so they are barely making it right now.”
But Carol isn’t letting any of this get her down; she continues to send out resumes and was attending job fairs and interviews as far away as Rogers and Fayetteville. Like many, she was worried about finding a job with all the cancellations and worry about the economy. “I’ll keep looking until I find something. And in the meantime, I give back to the community.”
Carol mentors students from Philander, helps coach local dance teams, registers people to vote and drove people to vote on election day. “I believe that when people need extra hands, you just say ‘Sure, what are friends for?’ Right now, I’d know a lot of people need help. I just want them to know it’s OK to ask. Don’t be ashamed because we all need help sometimes. And when you get on your feet, give back with money or time, however you can.”