Jana Lashmit of Charlevoix received the November 1999 Achiever of the Month Award. Jana initially came to the Family Independence Agency (FIA) for assistance in Emmet County. She was unemployed and having difficulty making ends meet. The Emmet county FIA provided Family Independence Program funds, Food Stamps and Medicaid. They also referred Jana to the Work First program where she utilized Work First’s resources and quickly found employment. Her cash assistance and Food Stamp case closed due to earnings in October 1998.
Early this year Jana moved to Charlevoix County to be closer to her family. She was unable to travel the long distance to and from her job so she sought employment closer to home. Despite her efforts, her job search was unsuccessful. In February 1999, to provide for her daughter, Jana reapplied for temporary assistance at the Charlevoix County FIA. That same month she was also referred to Work First. Revising her resume was one of the first tasks she and her Work First counselor tackled. In a matter of days, Jana was submitting her new resume to a local employer. On February 28, 1999 she secured a part-time job.
While looking for additional employment Jana took advantage of the learning opportunities available through Work First; developing her resume writing and sharpening her interviewing skills. For three months she also attended the East Jordan Learning Lab where she worked on improving her typing and computer abilities. Jana’s computer skills helped her secure a second part-time job at the Old Kent Insurance Group. Her employment there was so successful, she was eventually given enough hours to enable her to work one job rather than two. Today, Jana still works for the Old Kent Insurance Group. She enjoys her job and is proud to be self-supporting. Jana’s financial assistance case closed in April 1999. Currently, she receives transitional Medicaid and day care.
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Jana Lashmit of Charlevoix received the November 1999 Achiever of the Month Award. Jana initially came to the Family Independence Agency (FIA) for assistance in Emmet County. She was unemployed and having difficulty making ends meet. The Emmet county FIA provided Family Independence Program funds, Food Stamps and Medicaid. They also referred Jana to the Work First program where she utilized Work First’s resources and quickly found employment. Her cash assistance and Food Stamp case closed due to earnings in October 1998.
