Pushing Limits to Achieve Dreams
Public Housing Resident Begins New Career Path
By Jose Garza
Yvonne Andrews knew that if she wanted to achieve self-sufficiency for her family, she would have to go the extra mile times 10.
That meant balancing two jobs, school, an internship and parental duties while missing important family events and having little to no rest.
As a participant of Opportunity Home’s public housing program, Andrews’s perseverance paid off when she accepted a position as a Community Health Worker with the City of San Antonio’s Metropolitan Health District this past March. She graduated with a certificate in Community Health from Northwest Vista College through the city’s Ready to Work program in April.
While in school, Andrews worked as a manager at a storage company, as a resident apprentice under Opportunity Home San Antonio’s ConnectHome program and as an intern at Big Mama’s Safe House, a non-profit organization focused on reducing gun violence in the city.
“Sometimes, I would be tired and didn’t want to go to school, but I got up every morning and said I am going to finish,” she said. “I told myself, ‘you can do it.’ I just needed to find that push in me to finish. I teach my kids to not start something they can’t finish, so I had to follow my own advice.”
In her new role as Community Health Worker, Andrews facilitates access to health and social services for San Antonio residents.
She credits her work at Opportunity Home and at Big Mama’s Safe House for preparing her to tackle her new position. As a Resident Apprentice under Opportunity Home’s ConnectHome program, Andrews helped teach computer classes that focused on the basic fundamentals of learning and utilizing a digital device. At Big Mama’s Safe House, she assisted individuals with filling out and submitting applications for rental, utility and housing assistance, and provided food and clothing resource referrals.
“I like helping people, so I figured why don’t I learn more about it and go all the way through with it. A lot of people in our communities can trust and relate to me because I am one of them. Since I am aware of resources, I want to make sure people have what they need. I refer people to resources they don’t know are out there.”
Andrews also thanks Jessica Strom, former Digital Inclusion Manager at Opportunity Home, for helping set educational goals and preparing her for interviews prior to interviewing for new positions.
“She stayed on me while I was in school and work with me to do mock interviews three times,” Andrews said. “She and everyone at Opportunity Home have been positive role models. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this if it weren’t for Opportunity Home.”
Andrews’s future goals are to graduate with her associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology or social services and to exit public housing and move into a private-market apartment.
In fact, she is determined to earn her associate’s alongside her son who is expected to finish school during that same timeframe.
“I look forward to holding my degree alongside him,” Andrews said.