Picking the phone up—and letting her guard down
One evening in early 2024, a phone call caught Naomi Jackson of Springfield, a mother of five, in the middle of dinner. She didn’t recognize the number.
“It was a woman named Jasmin from Way Finders, asking if I had a minute,” said Jackson, a participant of Way Finders’ Employment Support Services (ESS) program. “We ended up talking for maybe an hour. Her words of encouragement, of just asking, ‘What do you need? What are you looking for? Allow me to help you.’ It was so emotional for me. I said, ‘OK, Jasmin, I’ll let you take the lead.’ As soon as that happened, everything just started to align and work out.”
Jackson was first referred by the Department of Transitional Assistance to the ESS program, but she declined because she believed it wasn’t a good fit. When Vice President of Housing Education Services Jasmin Rojas came across the reason why Jackson had declined, she was intrigued.
“Her case note said something to the effect of, ‘We didn’t offer what she needed,’” recalled Rojas. “More often, participants say they aren’t interested or don’t want to do it. So, I followed up with Naomi to find out what she meant, especially since turning down the program could impact her DTA benefits. And we just got to talking about her journey, she had extensive work experience and education. And I learned that she had left her employment because of some personal family issues.”
The more questions Rojas asked—did she need childcare over the summer, was she up for doing mock interviews, did she need interview clothes—the more Jackson opened up.
“We were just talking back and forth. I remember I said, ‘Why don’t we do this? Give ESS a chance. And if it’s still not for you, then you really didn’t lose anything,’” said Rojas.
For Jackson, who became a parent at age 17, earning her degrees in social work from Springfield College—a bachelor’s in 2017 and a master’s in 2018—was a major accomplishment.
“I started working, and then life happened,” said Jackson. “After the pandemic, one of my children started to get into trouble. I had to go through court systems, just everything. It was very draining. After he ran into trouble for a second time, I had to quit my job and be home with him. Eventually I was able to find different resources in the community, but it was really hard. I give my heart out to any parent in this situation, you feel so alone.”
Sacrificing the career that she’d worked so hard to establish—and which was hyper focused on providing support to others—was a heavy emotional weight. So, too, was the feeling of falling off track.
“As a social worker, you never want to be like, ‘Hey, I need help.’ You’re always the one helping,” said Jackson. “We live in a society where we’re so nervous about being judged. It’s like, ‘Oh, my goodness, I have these degrees. Why am I down? Why am I out?’ And never once did Jasmin or anyone at Way Finders ever make me feel that way. It was, ‘How can we help?’ Her phone call was the light at the end of the tunnel for me. It was like I needed a lifejacket, she tossed it, and I grabbed it.”
With encouragement from Rojas, Jackson welcomed Way Finders’ help, such as with resume writing, employment searching, and some financial support in paying back rent. She quickly landed a full-time job with Spring Health, which she began in April 2024.
“I love my job, it’s flexible. The company is caring and understanding,” said Jackson, who purchased a car in May. “In the past I’ve done every type of social work job, working with children, geriatrics, mental health. Right now, I’m stationed in resource type therapy.”
Jackson is also studying to pass a state license exam this September, needed to pursue her future career ambition to open group homes—for the formerly incarcerated and for older adults at end of life. Way Finders covered the cost of a training course and study guide.
“I’m so proud of Naomi,” said Rojas. “She has just this amazing skillset. I think what she really needed the most was to feel there was somebody in her corner, rooting her on and really invested in her progress. That’s what we do! We support our participants. And when she’s ready to open her business in the future, we talked about her connecting with Common Capital, for guidance and to apply for a loan.”
“It has absolutely been a big year,” Jackson said. “Everyone is thriving, everyone is just on track. My son is healthy, he’s in school and has an after-school job. My oldest was able to stay in school, he is on a full scholarship to study engineering for five years and earn his master’s at Western New England University.”
Jackson makes time to pursue her own passion, too, in the form of bingo. “I go to the casino, if I’m feeling fancy, or just at local bingo offerings. I have a lot of older friends, so that’s where we meet up and they save me a table, they want to know about my life and see my pictures and all that good stuff.”
When asked what message she’d like to share with members of the community, Jackson has a ready answer.
“It’s OK to put your guard down. It’s OK to ask for help,” Jackson said. “Thank you for this opportunity to share my story. Thank you to everyone—Jasmin, Employment Retention Coordinator Lynnette Nieves, and Employment Services Manager Madeline Martinez. Words can change a person’s whole perspective. Words, commitment, and dedication. At Way Finders, I feel like my voice was heard, and I’m really grateful.”