Resource Library

It takes courage to have faith in yourself.

Arainya is a single mother raising a young daughter in Michigan. She focused on making a better life for those around her, especially her child. Arainya devoted her time volunteering at the AIDS Partnership of Michigan as a crisis counselor.

She knew she wanted to continue her career in a field where she could help people. It was her goal to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), but it seemed impossible without help.

Arainya made a phone call to the Volunteers of America Michigan’s HPOG program after seeing an advertisement. Minutes later, HPOG returned her call. It was then she knew that she could achieve her dream of entering the healthcare field. Her strong faith urged her forward.

A breakthrough can come at any time.

Tyler’s breakthrough came after considerable thought and research into a program that would prove to be the gateway to his dream.

Successful working mothers aren’t the ones who have never struggled. They are the ones who have never settled.

Michele Heckman’s HPOG story is one of struggle and success; success that has exceeded her own initial expectations of what was possible for herself and her family.

The challenges of today prepare us for tomorrow, while the promise of tomorrow can propel us through the present. For many working, single mothers, the promise of something better is a source of inspiration and resiliency through tough times.

For women like Pam Goberdham, HPOG represents an opportunity to turn dreams deferred into opportunity realized.

When inspiration works in concert with motivation, anything is possible.

Andrea Galicia is proof of that. Through inspired living, she overcame personal, professional, and academic setbacks and forged a career for herself in the healthcare field.

Andrea is an example of how HPOG-funded programs can serve as the connective tissue between willingness and work.

Hard work and motivation translate in any language. After overcoming cultural barriers, economic barriers, and family tragedy, Glenda Lee Mejia’s engagement with HPOG allowed her to turn hardship into triumph.

Beautiful accidents can happen, but sustained achievements are never the result of chance.

You could say that Danny Mendez’s engagement with HPOG began by accident. However, the results he’s achieved in the program are the direct result of hard work and determination.

Strength is a quality we cannot measure until it is all we have left. Christine Rowsey’s strength allowed her to turn personal pain into power. It also led her to an HPOG program that allowed her to turn pain into professional purpose.

Part of living the American Dream is being able to follow your own personal calling. It is a dream that belongs to everyone, not just those born in the United States; a dream that is rooted in the understanding that with hard work and desire, anything is possible. Getachew Haile is proof that the American Dream still exists, and proof that HPOG can play an important role in helping make it achievable for everyone.

A single mother rises up to start a new chapter in her life.

Antoinette and her family have faced many challenges in the last fifteen years. She suffered the loss of her home and the passing of close family members. She was a single mother, with nine daughters and no place to live. Much of the next decade was spent working hard to keep her family afloat.

Antoinette has a master’s degree in social work, but lack of licensure capped her earning potential. She spent time as a drug and alcohol counselor and as a daycare worker. Antoinette always loved helping families overcome challenges in their lives. Now, it was her turn.

Antoinette had two teenage daughters, one with special needs, and two grandchildren living with her. She knew she wanted to start her own business, and began researching what additional experience and education she would need to do so. She happened upon HPOG and knew that it was her chance to succeed.