My day off, Monday, my boss call me. He say, 'Maritza, come. I give you some rooms because someone is sick.' I go there. I want to get more money but no, no, no if I got more money, more cuts. But I did it because my social worker say, 'Work Maritza?' Yes, yes, yes. I explain to her everything. Too much problem. After the welfare, I went to my boss and say he [must] give me lay off because [of] my medication.

Maritza explained that she needed to retain her benefits in order to continue to receive drug coverage, but she also wanted to earn more money. As soon as she earned more than an allotted amount of money to supplement her monthly social assistance payments, she began to see decreases in her cheques. A year before participating in this study, she lost her benefits, including her drug coverage and subsidized apartment, and lived in a shelter for one year. Eventually, she secured a subsidized home, resumed her social assistance benefits and had her drug costs covered. Now, after her rent is paid, she has only $200 a month to pay bills, buy clothes, food, and other essentials for her and her two sons.

Maritza needed to wait until her home life was predictable and her son was secure in his new school before she felt ready to pursue her own education. When she first came to register in the program, she wasn't sure what was available and said she simply wanted to go to school to learn to read and write better. During her intake interview, she then added that she wanted to attend the program to find a job other than cleaning, a job that required a skill, such as using a cash register.

When Marion, Hannah and Maritza Entered the Program

Each of the three students experienced different levels of confusion when they first entered the employment preparation program. Although the program was explained to all three and they could choose to enter it or one of the other programs offered by the school board, each one expressed surprise when they found themselves in the coffee shop. Hannah recalled her first day in the program.

The first day I started [I was in] the class, and the next day I went to the kitchen. It was my first day to cook. When you explained to me the program, I didn't know exactly what we are doing…I was a little nervous because I was not expecting the kitchen. I didn't know exactly what we are doing here.