Before 2013, Kim was addicted to drugs, chronically homeless, and was on probation. “I thought I had no way out,” Kim said. She felt that she was not doing anything constructive with her life, and after going to jail again, she decided to get help in rehab in 2013. After graduating from the rehabilitation program, Kim was required to look for work, but she didn’t have any experience. That’s when she turned to Integrity.
In 2015, Kim heard about Integrity through word-of-mouth, as she lived in a nearby neighborhood. She met Rosemerry, who was the first person to help her. “Everybody there was trying to help people,” Kim said. At Integrity, Kim got help working on her resume, learning soft skills, and building back the confidence she needed to get into the workforce. “I kept it real with [Rosemerry] and told her where I was coming from in my life and, you know, where I was trying to get to, and she was like ‘Don’t worry about that, you can do this.’ That’s what I love about the people, they don’t let [your circumstances] deter them from trying to help you.”
Once she completed soft skills training and had a resume, Kim was referred to the construction worker training program at Goodwill, where she graduated with a CDL certification. Today, Kim works as a bus operator for MARTA and is house hunting with her husband.
When asked what she would tell people who are unsure or on the fence about working with an organization like Integrity, she said “Get off of the fence, and get yourself moving to get your life moving in the right direction! I would strongly recommend that you go with Integrity because these people are actually going to take the time to help you figure out what’s right for you.”