Ramona Ventura – a graduate of the Home Health AideTraining Program

I first met Ms. Ventura shortly after she moved into Lenox/Camden Development in early 2012.  Ms. Ventura and her daughter came from a shelter.  They had numerous placements in multiple shelters, motels and scattered sites.  Another obstacle she faced was her lack of childcare.  Ms. Ventura she was feeling hopeless due to her lengthy stay in a shelters/motels/scattered sites and other family issues.  During her intake I learned she completed two years of college in Puerto Rico and she wanted to return to school but needed to improve her English language skills.  Ms. Ventura stated “My inability to speak English affected every aspect of my life.  It complicated my ability to acclimate to the new neighborhood, further my education, research resources and communicate with my daughter’s providers.”  She says her daughter motivated her to improve her overall situation as she wanted to do the best she could for her daughter.  Ms. Ventura wanted to serve as an effective advocate when addressing her daughter’s speech development issues.

When Ms. Ventura initially enrolled in ESOL classes, she states the program was not a right fit for her.  Being determined to learn English, she sought out another program which better met her language needs.  She said “While I was learning English, my motivation to become employed grew.  I knew I would strengthen my language skills through a job and daily contact with English speakers.  The only way to learn and strengthen English is by practicing it.”  She later obtained a part-time job in an afterschool program in Chelsea, MA.  Ms. Ventura traveled back and forth to her job via public transportation.  Traveling on public transportation added time to her work commute. Seeing how difficult traveling on public transportation was, she committed to getting her license and saving for a car.  Ms. Ventura worked hard on getting her license and saving money.  She accomplished goals she set for herself; he received her driver’s license in 2012 and obtained her citizenship in 2014.  Ms. Ventura worked at the afterschool program for approximately two years.  Ms. Ventura’s interactions with her co-workers and parents of the students allowed her to strengthen her English skills.  She later became pregnant.  She worked until the end of her pregnancy but did not return to her job, as she did not have any childcare.  Ms. Ventura stayed at home with her baby for about one year.  She later found a family friend to watch her baby.  At that time, she started to look for a job.  Her job search was challenging and discouraging at times.  She found a job at a travel agency but that did not last long, as the schedule did not work for her.

For the past year, Ms. Ventura had been working part-time at Dunkin Donuts.  She described it as a job but not the job she wanted to be at.

Ms. Ventura has she expressed her continued desire to improve her situation.  She reports she will be starting accelerated courses at Endicott College in 2017.  She is so excited that Endicott has accepted the majority of her previously earned college credits.  She is hopeful and knows her hard work will pay off.  In 2016, she also completed the Home Health Aide training offered through Northeastern University and the HEART Consortium. Ms. Ventura talked about wanting another job while she is in school.  She would like to work part-time as a Home Health Aide while she is attending Endicott College.  She feels a schedule as a Home Health Aide will be more flexible and allow her to work and go to school.  Ms. Ventura has proven to be a hard-working and committed mother who wants the best for her children.  She speaks of getting a better paying full-time job that will allow her to provide a better future for her family.  Ms. Ventura stated “BHA has been a step towards accomplishing my dreams of completing my education and owning my own home.”

by Lissette Rodriguez, Service Coordinator, Community Services Department.

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