On the right path

Fayette County Community
Action Agency, Inc.

Loni Clark

Loni Clark was 23-years-old when she first came to the Community Training Institute (CTI) of Fayette County Community Action Agency (FCCAA) in 2005. She had been referred to the program by her aunt and was interested in finding out more about the Certified Nursing Assistant Program (CNA). She had been working part time at a local convenience store and was not earning enough to adequately support her and her small daughter, Lauren. Loni was also in the process of ending a relationship which would significantly decrease her family's income.  

Loni had received her General Equivalency Diploma (GED) through the Fayette County Community Action Agency's Education Program and realized the value of education. She decided to obtain more information regarding the programs offered at CTI and better her education and career possibilities.  

Loni was paired with a case manager who helped her to identify goals and assisted her in contacting the program coordinator at the Community Training Institute to discuss the CNA course, its requirements and funding options. With FCCAA's help, Loni obtained funding through a Workforce Investment Act grant so that she could pay for her schooling. In January 2006, Loni entered the CNA course program. With the help of her parents and daycare, she established a routine that met both her and her daughter's needs and allowed her to focus on her schooling.

Loni worked hard and completed the CNA course obtaining her Pennsylvania State Certification. Her class instructor said that Loni was "always prepared and available to assist with anything that was needed, a great student."  

Her hard work and commitment to her education paid off when, in March 2006, Loni obtained employment at a local hospital. The job offered her opportunities and a salary that enabled her to take care of her family, her home and her vehicle. "Julie, the CTI program coordinator, helped me to see that I was the only one that could make the changes that I wanted in my life," said Loni. "I did and look at what I am doing now."

Loni takes pride in becoming self-sufficient and not having to rely on others to care for her family. She continues to set goals for herself and, when her daughter enters school, hopes to attend college to become a registered nurse.

Loni has nothing but positive things to say about her experience with FCCAA's Community Training Institute. "I don't think that I would have ever gotten to where I am now, being able to support my daughter and take care of everything, if it were not for the encouragement and support from the staff at Community Training Institute," said Loni.  

Julie, CTI program coordinator said, "Loni will achieve everything that she sets her mind to; she is a courageous and bright young woman!"

Fayette County Community Action Agency, Inc. has been helping low-income people overcome economic, cultural, physical, educational and age barriers in Fayette County since 1966.