When Jayne came to Life-Work Planning Center (LWPC) she was afraid that her husband was going to die.  He had recently been treated for congestive heart failure due to an overactive thyroid and they had been told he might not live very long.  Due to his disability, he was no longer able to work. Jayne had to apply for food stamps.  As part of the requirements for food stamps, she went to some meetings at the Fairmont Workforce Center.  While there, Sue Kuhl, who works at the Workforce Center, suggested that she come to the workshops conducted by LWPC and she did.  She was scared of losing her husband and wanted to concentrate on taking care of him; but she also had to deal with how to support herself and take care of things if she was left on her own.  Jayne wasn’t used to thinking about herself; she had always taken care of others.  Her husband had supported her and she worked every other weekend and some fill-in shifts at a local group home.  This left her available to her family, both her grown children and also her mother, brothers and sisters.  There had been several family crises.

   Jayne always felt that she could go to be with her family during those times. People were accustomed to Jayne coming and helping them—and she loved being able to have that flexibility.  She had lived her life for her family and hadn't thought very much about herself.  Now, at Life-Work Planning Center, she was asked to come up with a list of goals for herself.  She remembers being under a lot of stress and also that it was very difficult to think about what she wanted and needed to do.  Thinking back on it, Jayne realizes that after she got married she ‘lost a big part of me’.

    In the workshops, Jayne learned about boundaries, self esteem, communication and the importance of finding time for one’s self.  She took interest inventories, learned about her personality, what skills she enjoyed using, and what was important to her about a job.  After all the assessments were completed, she came up with a profile. 

    One day, as Jayne was leaving a workshop, Sue Kuhl (Job Service-Fairmont) stopped to ask her how it was all proceeding and Jayne shared her profile with her.  Sue knew of a recent job posting for a ‘Para’, (someone who works with special needs students),  at a local elementary school that would match her profile very well.  Jayne had never thought that she could work in an educational setting. It seemed ‘beyond’ her, although she loved to help her own grandchildren with their schoolwork. Education was always important to Jayne – she is the only one out of 7 siblings who graduated from high school.  She applied for the Para job and was hired; she is now in her second year there.  She has received commendations from the staff and from the parents of the student with whom she works. 

   This year Jayne has been scrapbooking and is chronicling in an album the activities and the progress that her student is making.  The job fits her perfectly. 

Jayne’s husband is somewhat better and is able to work at a reduced level.  Jayne now has additional goals for herself. She is making time for new friends from work and enjoying a whole new outlook on life.

- Christine Olson, Peer Counselor

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