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Grand Island, NE

Project HELP

Showing up to the wrong place at the right time turns into a new opportunity.

Sandra smiles in her scrubs

When Sandra lost her job, she was shocked, worried, and scared. But thanks to Project HELP she found hope and a new sense of purpose. Sandra worked at the ShopKo in O’Neil, NE for over five years. She started as seasonal help and eventually worked her way up to Floor Supervisor. Unfortunately, the store closed, laying off nearly 20 people. In a small town like O’Neil, that meant a lot of people out of work and competing for what few jobs were available.

Health-Care Ute Project (HCUTE) uses Distance Education to connect rural, at-risk adult members of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe with post-secondary education. Education options for reservation Natives are usually inaccessible and unfamiliar. The few tribal members who leave often find the experience culturally intimidating, and dropout rates are high. For those who succeed, they do not return to the reservation after accepting jobs in their field, which weakens the local infrastructure.

Rochester, NY

Healthcare training program in Rochester, New York quickly adapts to COVID-19.

The Rochester Health Profession Opportunity Grants (ROC-HPOG) staff at Action for a Better Community (ABC) engages Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and low-income participants in training that will lead to sustainable healthcare careers. ROC-HPOG also partners with local employers, educational institutions, adult learning and training centers, and community-based organizations to provide participants with the services and support to succeed.

Naomi found herself pregnant during her senior year of high school. Despite her pregnancy, she graduated at the top of her class, with a 3.7 GPA. Naomi started researching her options and went to an information session for certified nursing assistant (CNA) training at Louisiana Delta Community College. She knew she would need financial assistance, and at the session learned of the Northeast Louisiana Professional Healthcare Opportunities— Careers and Support Project (PHOCAS) program . Naomi applied and was selected for PHOCAS. She started CNA training at Louisiana Delta Community College in May 2016. "PHOCAS helped with everything; tuition, books, and even a gas card for me to travel back and forth. It was amazing and relieved so much stress."

A first-generation college graduate, Mavis accomplished career and academic goals despite overwhelming challenges. Mavis obtained her Associate Degree of Nursing and secured employment at Memorial Hermann as an emergency room nurse through participating in the Health Professional Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program at Volunteers of America Texas (VOATX) .

The Health Careers Advancement Project (Health CAP) at Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board, Inc. provides opportunities for temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) recipients and other low-income individuals to obtain occupational training in the high-demand field of healthcare. Health CAP uses a case management model proven to deliver coordinated, integrated services to help participants achieve self-sufficiency.

In April 2018, Work Attributes Toward Careers in Health (WATCH) , a Health Profession Opportunity Grant in central Pennsylvania, noted rapid job growth in three occupations: Medical Front Office (MFO), Medical Billing and Coding (MB), and Electronic Health Records (EHR). They also saw a growing need for training options with flexible scheduling to accommodate individuals with employment and family obligations. Their efforts to integrate online healthcare training became the marker of program success when the COVID-19 pandemic moved most training and case management online.

Chaz and Stephanie are the definition of a power couple. Motivated to provide for their growing family, they took a chance towards a new career by applying for the HEART Project , Turtle Mountain Community College’s (TMCC) Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program. With the HEART Project’s assistance, they both obtained certification as Phlebotomy Technicians and associate degrees in Medical Laboratory Science.

Rapid City, SD

HPOG helped Salome find successful career despite her major health challenges

Salome grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation in southwest South Dakota. For many years she took care of her parents, both of whom were on dialysis. She helped administer their medication and made sure they were comfortable and well-looked after. Later in life, Salome herself required dialysis over a period of ten years. While receiving treatment, Salome watched the nurses at work. She admired the confident, respectful, and compassionate way they interacted with patients under their care. This experience stuck with her and influenced her decision to enter the healthcare field.

In 2015, Salome began her education journey by enrolling in the GED program at the Career Learning Center in Rapid City, SD. At times, she was discouraged, unsure if she had what it took to become successful. An instructor noticed her frustrations and introduced her to the Prosperity Initiative. It is a program that strives to move families and individuals, like Salome, in Rapid City from poverty to prosperity. Salome expressed her goal to make something more of herself as well as her desire to enter the healthcare field. They referred her to the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board’s HPOG program, Pathways to Healthcare Professions (PHP) . Soon after Salome’s acceptance into PHP, she started a Certified Nursing Assistant program.

Completing her education proved difficult. Salome had to balance 40 hours of school with dialysis treatments three times a week. Salome was determined to complete her training though and worked out an alternative schedule that allowed her to fulfill her academic requirements. The instructor let her leave early on the days she had dialysis, and worked with her after class on alternate days so she would not fall behind. PHP staff also helped her get to her classes and treatments.

In class, Salome was shy but engaged with the material. She demonstrated an excellent knowledge and understanding of patient care. Her instructors noted her kindness and dedication to caring for others. During clinical rotations, she went the extra mile for patients under her care, such as answering call lights when she was not required to. Salome completed her CNA training in April 2019 and received her GED soon after.

In January 2020, Salome began a Licensed Practical Nurse program at Western Dakota Tech and is on track to become a nurse. Under normal circumstances, Salome’s health and financial challenges might have prevented her from achieving her goals, but her determination, integrity and perseverance kept her focused. The support she received from the PHP HPOG staff further allowed her to excel and helped make her dream a reality.

This success story was self-identified by the grantee and information contained in this document was provided by the grantee.

HPOG Success Story: Salome at Great Plains Tribal Charimen's Health Board (PDF) (PDF)

The past doesn’t determine your path Aliyah grew up in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago. The area is known as “Terror Town” for the rampant gangs and gun violence that plague the streets. Despite the harsh conditions outside, Aliyah was surrounded by a supportive family. Her grandmother gifted her with these words of wisdom: “It works, if you work it.” Over the years, this mantra guided Aliyah to persevere through adversity and help her achieve her dreams. All she needed was a little assistance, which she found through the HPOG program at Chicago State University, Partnerships to STEP-UP in Health Careers .