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Meet Vicki a Participant in the YWCA's SOAR Program
 Maybe after you read this you will wonder how one person could make so many poor decisions and not take responsibility for them. On the other hand, maybe you will be grateful that you had a family who supported you and thankful that you were able to find your way before being buried by your mistakes. So when you read about Vicki remember those who have helped you and think about where you might be without them. As you read about Vicki ask yourself how would you have handled your life with the tools that you were given?
Vicki's life has been rough. Both of her parents struggled with mental illness and drug addictions. Her father was abusive, and her mother was aloof. So with an unstable home, Vicki and her younger brother were taken from their parents' home and placed in foster care. The foster care system did not serve them well; it merely moved Vicki and her brother from home to home. While they had a warm place to sleep, but they were often separated and alone.
Aside from moving to different foster homes multiple times a year, school was a struggle for Vicki. The different school districts were on separate curriculums, which made learning any one subject challenging. Shortly after graduation, she had twins. After her third child, Vicki was struggling to feed her family. Her husband, the father of her third child and a disabled veteran, was unable to work. If you were in her shoes, what would you do to survive and feed your family?
After hitting rock bottom, Vicki decided to participate in the YWCA's SOAR program. SOAR, which stands for Search, Obtain, Achieve, Retain, is a free employment training program of the YWCA Hamilton, funded by the Butler County United Way, with a priority to serve individuals who are unemployed or underemployed. Participants like Vicki gain the skills and confidence to compete in the job market and to begin achieving economic independence.
Your support of the Butler County United Way makes helping those like Vicki possible. For more information and to learn how to give, visit www.bc-unitedway.org.
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