Shanita Humphries, Detroit

I had younger kids back-to-back, and I was on bedrest. Being out of work, I needed help. I started talking to neighbors and family about what to do. I heard about a few organizations, and I started putting myself out there.

First, I learned about childcare assistance and then, employment opportunities with Detroit at Work. Detroit at Work introduced me to Empowerment Plan (EP), and ever since my life has gotten so much better.

EP really helped me figure out where I was going in life and provided me with the resources I needed. Now, I got a job sewing for EMPWR Coats. I’m also in the process of getting my GED there. EP even has a food pantry that I was registered to start using.

Every day I clock in, we eat breakfast together and then I go straight to my machine to put pockets on panels. This was my first sewing experience so at the beginning, it was so tough. But after a while, I really got the hang of it and now I can just see what I’m doing.

I’m 29 and I had no idea there were jobs out here like this. Here, we are really more like a family than fellows. Everyone really gets to know you and cares about you.

The staff are perfect for their individual roles. They are super understanding and flexible if you have to be there for your kids. It’s convenient because I can still drop my kids off and pick them up from school.

I’d recommend EP to anyone who is ready to be successful. My advice is don’t give up, even though you may want to. Help is out there, and it just took my foot in the door to change my life.

Empowerment Plan, a United Way for Southeastern Michigan funded partner, disrupts the cycle of homelessness by ensuring access to employment opportunities. Their paid-to-learn model dedicates 60% of the work week to coat production and the remaining 40% to supportive services and programming, like helping Shanita to get her GED.