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The Partnership to STEP UP in Health Careers (STEP-UP) program at the Chicago State University focuses on a multi-level approach to career improvement in high demand health professions. The program serves low-income individuals and TANF recipients in Chicago, especially the south side and the southern suburbs.

The Health Education Access through Rural Training (HEART) Project at Turtle Mountain Community College provides educational opportunities to TANF and low-income individuals living in rural communities. Participants receive training for occupations in the healthcare field that pay well and experience labor shortages or are in high demand.

If you asked Sunshine five years ago where she would be today, her answer would certainly be different. In that short time, she found sobriety, earned a medical assistant certificate and began a career in the healthcare field. Sunshine is a single mother of two boys, living in Medford, OR. For years, she battled addiction and generational poverty. She wanted more for herself and her family but struggled to find it.

Sunshine bravely took steps to overcome her barriers. In February of 2017, Sunshine attended an information session about the HPOG-funded Southern Oregon Health Occupations Poverty Elimination project (SOHOPE) . During the information session, Sunshine learned the healthcare industry needed skilled workers. She could see herself taking classes and earning a certificate as a healthcare professional. Sunshine says, “This opportunity came into my life in the perfect time. Being a mom was everything to me, and I knew staying in base jobs would not allow us to have a better quality of life.”

Janie grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Houston, Texas. The trailer park she lived in was constantly filled with yelling, anger, and alcohol-fueled bouts of rage from her parents. Her parents never had steady employment, nor did they provide Janie with the basic necessities she needed as a child.

Janie learned about Volunteers of America Texas Health Professions Opportunity Grants (HPOG) at a recruitment event at a local community college. She listened carefully to the presentation about HPOG but was apprehensive about applying. She figured she had nothing to lose and applied in the fall of 2016.

Nuvia came to Rochester, New York from Cuba where she worked as a registered nurse (RN). Coming to America as a refugee was exciting but not without conflict and challenges. When she relocated with her husband and two children, she did not speak English well and needed to find employment to support her family. Nuvia applied for many entry-level jobs in the healthcare field and at local restaurants, but she was turned away each time. She was not ready to give up on her goals of helping her family reach self-sufficiency.

Nuvia knew that improving her English was the first step. In October 2017, she enrolled in an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) class at the Office of Adult and Career Education Services (OACES). OACES is a recruitment partner for the ROC-HPOG: Rochester Health Profession Opportunity Grant Project , facilitated by Action for a Better Community, Inc. After enrolling in the ESOL program, Nuvia learned about ROC-HPOG from a classmate. She was very excited about the opportunity to have financial and emotional support from the ROC-HPOG team while training in the healthcare field. After meeting her navigator, Dr. Malalah, she felt that with HPOG’s help, she could once again work in the healthcare field. Working together, they devised a plan to get Nuvia back to work as a registered nurse.

In July 2019, Volunteers of America Michigan (VOAMI) added a new staff role to their VOAMI Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) program. The Training and Enrichment (TE) Specialist offers extra guidance to participants as they move from enrollment to healthcare training to employment. The TE Specialist offers one-on-one support, connecting participants to the best resources for their needs. They host workshops and job fairs and also reach out to local healthcare employers to stay up to date on open positions, company culture, and future needs.

At the age of 35, Jenica was a working student supporting five children. She temped as a medical surgical technician, making $9.35 an hour while studying to fulfill her dream of becoming a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Her family received SNAP benefits, but Jenica knew she needed more support to achieve her goal of becoming self-sufficient.

While searching for assistance, Jenica learned of Project HOPE: Healthcare Occupations Preparation for Employment . While attending a Project HOPE information session, she learned they could provide her with the assistance she was seeking. She enrolled in Project HOPE on June 26, 2017. Jenica was so excited that she cried tears of joy.

Healthcare employers in Anchorage, AK, look beyond test scores when hiring entry-level employees. The demand for new hires with interpersonal and soft skills is on the rise. Employer partners of the Cook Inlet Tribal Council Health Profession Opportunity Grants (CITC HPOG) program in Alaska stated a clear need for entry-level employees to demonstrate such skills. Initiative and a strong work ethic are highly sought-after traits, yet they are often hard to find in the incoming local healthcare workforce.

Brandi has a long-standing passion for medicine. The mother of two worked for many years as a registered medical assistant before making the decision to go back to school to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN). With few nursing school options near, Brandi and her family relocated to her hometown of Toledo, Ohio.

Once she settled back in Toledo, Brandi enrolled at Professional Skills Institute (PSI). One fateful day, Brandi ran into an old family friend who had graduated from PSI. They told Brandi about Zepf Center’s Northwest Ohio Pathway to Healthcare Careers (NOPHC) project funded by the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) program.

Morgan grew up in a small town called Canajoharie, NY. Her parents were always fighting, and eventually, they divorced when she was 7. Her mother left her with her dad. Morgan’s new stepmom proved to be a bully, leading Morgan to leave home at 16 to live with her 21-year-old boyfriend. They were together for a year until she left him because he was “controlling, lying, and cheating.” Shortly after, she found out she was pregnant and moved south to Schenectady.

Morgan was determined to make a life for her and her son. She worked as a bartender and took care of an elderly neighbor. As she remembers, after looking for a way to build a career, “…somehow I submitted an application to HPOG.” Then she got a call from Ashley, the Upstate Partnership for Healthcare Pathways (UPHP) HPOG program representative at Schenectady Community Action Program (SCAP). The enthusiasm in Ashley’s voice convinced Morgan to start the application process.