Lawrence County
Community Action Partnership
Maxine Rose

When she came to the Lawrence County Community Action Partnership (LCCAP) in September 2003, Maxine Rose was without a home, a job and a vehicle.

After living in Springfield, North Carolina for 12 years, Maxine never planned to return New Castle, Pa. She had an associates degree in business administration and was working in a school district. After 10 years of marriage, however, Maxine and her husband separated and she and her two youngest children returned to Pennsylvania. Marquita, Maxine’s oldest daughter, remained in Springfield to go to college. To make the transition to college easier, Maxine, 44, left the family’s only vehicle with Marquita. With a television set, pots and pans and a few clothes, Maxine and her other two children traveled to New Castle, where they moved in with Maxine’s parents. who were in need
of medical care.

A Better Tomorrow
Maxine was referred to LCCAP’s Supported Work Program by the Department of Public Welfare. She began attending job readiness workshops to brush up on her interviewing skills and to develop a cover letter, resume and follow-up letter. Through the workshops Maxine met other people in similar situations and was able to learn from them. Maxine found employment as a machinist at a local equipment company which offered medical benefits for her and her two children who are both hearing impaired.

While in the Supported Work Program, Maxine accessed other services offered by LCCAP. The Housing Department helped her find a place for her and her children to live and also supplied her with the first month’s rent and security deposit. The Transportation Department’s Vehicle Purchase and Repair Program provided her with money towards the purchase of a vehicle. Maxine also intends to take advantage of LCCAP’s newest program, the Optical Clinic, to receive eyeglasses. Lawrence County CAP continues to support Maxine through monthly in-office appointments and phone calls to keep her focused, on track, enthusiastic and confident.

Joy and Determination
Maxine’s case manager, Michelle Rodriguez, herself a self-sufficiency award nominee in 2000, feels she was able to identify with Maxine. “I have never met anyone who had so much joy and determination in the midst of hardship,” she said. “I am elated to have been able to service such a wonderful person. Maxine has the unique ability to be able to change her environment so that it becomes conducive to her needs. She was able to turn her life around in only two months. Such a person should be recognized and encouraged,” Michelle added.

Currently, Maxine and her children, ages 10 and 12, are settled into their new home. Maxine’s next focus is to begin saving money to help financially support her daughter, Marquita, 19, through college.

To Maxine, self-sufficiency means “that I can not only care for me and those that belong to me, but that I can be a blessing to someone else. I believe in divine intervention. Therefore, I certainly believe that it has been predestined for me to have been in the Supported Work Program with LCCAP. They were placed in my life to help me get to the next level.”