Meet Jhonna. When she became a mother at a young age, she was unprepared for the challenges that would come. Coming from a big family of seven siblings, she was unable to finish college because they didn’t have the money so instead she looked for a job. Her husband left to get a job in a distant city where he would send money back while Jhonna found a job at a vehicle warehouse. From the outside, her situation looked manageable but she was dealing with harsh work conditions and her husband sent less money with each transfer..
Jhonna tried to remain hopeful and trusting, but the hardship was overwhelming. At this time, Jhonna said, “We had almost nothing. My child was still a baby. I tried to make do with just coffee.” She was ashamed of her situation and did not want to reach out to her siblings for help for fear that they would judge her. On top of all this, her husband left her and she was completely on her own providing for her family. Jhonna was heartbroken and alone. She had little time to grieve and was determined to make a way for her “child to finish her studies and, of course, not to follow in my footsteps.”
That was when she found job openings at Dignity and decided to apply. When she got the job she was overjoyed to be able to put food on the table and give her daughter an education, all while caring for her parents. She no longer had the stress of borrowing money and having a consistent salary helped her care for her parents' health as well. Jhonna remarried and her daughter is now beginning school– her dream of a fresh start came true! One of the biggest changes Jhonna noticed about the culture of Dignity was the kindness from her coworkers. She expected the same bullying she experienced at her last job, but was instead met with friendship and a strong community to support her.
