Karen Lamothe was the proud recipient of the June 2000 Achiever of the Month Award. This single mother of one child came to the Kalkaska County Family Independence Agency (FIA) for assistance in 1996; she was 18 years old and caring for her 15-month-old daughter.
Through the FIA she received Family Independence Program funds, Medicaid, food stamps and State Emergency Relief, four programs that are essential to helping families when their own resources have been drained.
In July 1996, she was referred to the Work First program. The local Work First provider, the Northwest Michigan Works! Agency, helped Karen prepare resumes and develop her interviewing skills. They also provided support services that enabled her to fix her car and purchase car insurance.
Karen, recognizing that she needed a high school diploma to get a better paying job, decided to go back to school. Over the next three years she attended school and worked a part-time job. After her high school graduation she decided to go on to college. Work First helped her determine a major and assisted her in finding financial aid. Currently, Karen is a full-time student at Northwestern Michigan College and works part-time as a cashier at Tom's Food Market in Acme, Michigan. Karen's Family Independence Program case closed in June 1999.
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Karen Lamothe was the proud recipient of the June 2000 Achiever of the Month Award. This single mother of one child came to the Kalkaska County Family Independence Agency (FIA) for assistance in 1996; she was 18 years old and caring for her 15-month-old daughter.
