Salad and Go will take you in, they’ll welcome you as part of their family
In summer 2021, Jamie celebrated her one-year anniversary at Salad and Go, an employment partner of Live & Learn. With the support of Live & Learn and the opportunity at Salad and Go, Jamie is building a new life for herself and her children.
Jamie is a mother of six and a domestic violence survivor. She was married to her abuser for many years before fleeing in late 2019. The decision to leave was financially devastating for Jamie, as it is for many survivors of domestic violence.
After leaving her abuser, Jamie became homeless. She moved from a shelter to a housing agency and secured a job at a staffing agency, but her wages were garnished as a result of her abuser’s debts. This meant that, as hard as Jamie worked, she could only take home 75% of her paycheck.
The housing agency where Jamie lived referred her to Live & Learn just as the Covid-19 Pandemic was hitting Maricopa County. Jamie was furloughed from her job, and her situation became even more difficult.
Yet, Jamie was determined to get back to work and continue striving for stability. With Live & Learn’s guidance, she spent 20 hours a week applying for jobs, cleaning houses on the side. Since Jamie had customer service experience, her Live & Learn Client Coordinator referred her to Salad and Go.
In July 2020, Salad and Go offered Jamie a full-time job, and a pathway forward. Still working there, Jamie has loved the job from the beginning. “You wouldn’t believe how many people buy salads!” she laughs.”Salad and Go has a great culture, I really enjoy working with them.”
With a new job in place, Live & Learn helped Jamie address any challenges that threatened to derail her.
Live & Learn:
- connected Jamie with financial literacy workshops to work on budgeting strategies
- helped her visit eye doctor and receive specialized glasses needed due to underlying condition
- walked her through opening a savings account and putting a little money aside each paycheck
- navigated her through rental assistance resources
- covered the cost of car repairs so she could still get to work
- advocated for her in Maricopa County’s Homeless Court
- helped her research health insurance options through the Affordable Care Act
- coached her through long-term health challenges she continues to struggle with
