Vanessa Cole is the 126th recipient of the Family Independence Agency’s (FIA) Achiever of the Month award. This mother of two boys came to the Branch County FIA for help in July 1997. At that time, she was pregnant and needed assistance with medical care. Through the FIA Ms. Cole received health coverage from the Healthy Kids program.

In January 2001, Ms. Cole, returned to the Branch County FIA for assistance. At that time, she was eight months pregnant, had just lost her job, and needed help providing for her family. Vanessa was approved for Family Independence Program (FIP) benefits, Food Assistance and Medicaid.

That same month, Vanessa decided she could increase her marketability by pursuing additional education in the corrections field. After discussing the idea with her Work First case worker and receiving her encouragement, Ms. Cole began attending classes in January 2001, at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek. The FIA’s Work First contractor, the Foundation for Behavior Resources, supported Vanessa’s endeavor by covering the cost of tuition and books.

Vanessa’s hard work and determination quickly paid off. In May 2001, she received her corrections certificate.

Several months after the birth of her youngest son, Vanessa was referred to the Work First program. At the Foundation for Behavior Resources, Vanessa studied resume writing and how to improve her interviewing skills. Additionally, since Ms. Cole did not own a car and relied primarily on public transportation during her job search, they assisted her job hunting efforts by providing her with financial resources for transportation.

Vanessa quickly found employment with a home health care company. The FIA supported her work efforts by supplying child day care benefits. Vanessa continued to make significant strides toward self-improvement and self-sufficiency. On April 30, 2002, her FIP case closed due to her earnings. She continued to received FAP, Medicaid and child day care.

When Vanessa’s employment with the home health care company ended in November 2003, she immediately went to Work First to inquire about any job openings. Her former case worker, introduced Ms. Cole to a case manager for the Foundation for Behavior Resources’s, and asked if he could assist Vanessa. When the case manager met with Ms. Cole, he was so impressed, he offered her a part-time job as his assistant. After only two months, Vanessa was promoted to full-time.