The March 2001 Achiever of the Month Award was presented to Khristel DeLoach of Detroit. This single mother of two children first came to the Family Independence Agency (FIA) for help in November 1992. For the next several years she was on and off of assistance and working at a variety of temporary agencies to provide for her family. She most recently came to FIA for assistance in March 1998 when she was unable to work due to medical complications resulting from her pregnancy.
Through the FIA she received Family Independence Program benefits, food stamps and Medicaid. She was also approved for State Emergency Relief to assist with a gas shut off notice. The FIA Child Support staff helped locate the father of her oldest daughter and she began receiving child support payments.
In October 1999, Khristel was referred to the Work First program. She was extremely receptive and determined to learn everything she could to improve her employment opportunities. The Work First provider Diversified Educational Services helped Khristel prepare resumes and develop her interviewing skills. They also assisted her with transportation by providing bus tickets, since she did not have a car.
Khristel quickly found part-time employment through Dunhill Staffing Services and in November 1999, her cash assistance and food stamp cases closed due to her earnings. Currently, she receives day care and her children receive Medicaid. Although Khristel was glad to be working she was determined to find a job that would provide her family with greater financial security. Through a self-initiated job search Khristel obtained a full-time job at American Blind and Wallpaper in Plymouth. She continues to work there today. In the future she plans to gain a management position within the company.
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The March 2001 Achiever of the Month Award was presented to Khristel DeLoach of Detroit. This single mother of two children first came to the Family Independence Agency (FIA) for help in November 1992. For the next several years she was on and off of assistance and working at a variety of temporary agencies to provide for her family. She most recently came to FIA for assistance in March 1998 when she was unable to work due to medical complications resulting from her pregnancy.
