Community Progress Council – York
Beatriz Velez

A single mother of three daughters, Beatriz Velez found herself struggling to find make her way. Unemployed, she was in an unstable relationship and lacked all external support needed for her to succeed. She wanted to provide a better life for her children: Cassandra, 13, Cathilia, 11 and Angelia, 7. But she also realized she didn’t have the skill to do it alone – yet.

When Beatriz came to the Community Progress Council in December 2003, she knew exactly what she wanted. With the help of her case manager, the 29 year old set her sights on obtaining her GED, getting a drivers’ license and car, owning a home and maintaining permanent employment. She also recognized she needed to get a better handle on not only her personal issues, but personal finance.

Beatriz began receiving work experience training in the Community Progress Council’s Community Centers Department, but she struggled with child care. She overcame that barrier, finding safe, reliable child care for her girls, which allowed her to focus on the next goal of working full time at a job that paid family-sustaining wages.

Because she handled herself professionally within the community and had excellent communication and office skills, Beatriz excelled in her training as an intake worker, performing data entry and general office duties. Combine that with her determination and desire to achieve her goals, Beatriz quickly moved into training as a receptionist for the main switchboard as well as learning customer service skills. Bilingual, she also used her skills to help low-income clients who struggled with English.

Beatriz successfully landed a position with the Women, Infants and Children program facilitated by CPC in June. But the road is not always smooth and Beatriz hit a bump. She struggled with obtaining her GED, a condition of her employment, which resulted in her being released from her position. While she has yet to obtain her GED, her positive personality and bilingual skills make her an asset to any organization and finding another family-sustaining job is her priority.

The Community Progress Council “has given me more experience in the working field that I can carry over to another job,” Beatriz said. “I’m happier that I can get paid more and my kids are happier that they can go more places.”

Part of the better life Beatriz longed for included raising her daughters in a healthy environment, which meant moving into a better neighborhood. Obtaining a full-time job combined with her resolve and perseverance is providing her with an income that is helping her move toward that goal.

“Self-sufficiency means that I don’t have to depend on anybody,” Beatriz said. “I can depend on myself. Thank you Community Progress Council.”

The Community Progress Council Inc. provides programs and services to low-income York County residents as they seek help moving to independence.