Easter Seals Disability Services

For 15 years, Marissa (pictured at left) enjoyed being a successful hairstylist. When carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands forced Marissa to cut back on her hours, the single mother of two desperately sought another way to support her family. With no health benefits and an inability to collect more than $20,000 of past-due child support, Marissa sought medical, daycare and child/teen check-up assistance from Washington County. She also filed for assistance from the Minnesota Family Investment Program.

A social worker at the Minnesota Workforce Center, Woodbury, Minn., recommended that Marissa consider the Bank Skills Training course sponsored by Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota. During the testing phase, a Goodwill/Easter Seals employee suggested that Marissa also consider the Bank Reconciliation Skills Training program. “My first reaction was, OK, this must be a job in an office setting so I better be darn sure that I know what I am getting into,” says Marissa. “Hair salons have no walls and the only math involves cutting inches off hair!”

Marissa agreed to attend the six-week Bank Reconciliation Skills Training in downtown Minneapolis. To do so, she had to drive 15 miles from Stillwater, Minn., to Maplewood and then hop on the bus for the remaining 25 miles. Previously, Marissa had always worked close to home so it was unsettling for her to be far from her children. Her daughter was in her last year of elementary school, and Marissa had to arrange before- and after-school care. Her son was a high school junior and missed having Marissa nearby as well. Family and church friends supported Marissa through her career change. “I reached out to whoever could hold me up during those times when I felt that I was just about done,” says Marissa.  

During her first week of skills training, Marissa admits that she had no idea what was in store for her. The class reviewed the basics of debits and credits, using a spreadsheet of a mock bank general ledger. Her instructor, Paul Sanft, illustrated possible abbreviations and wording to help familiarize Marissa with the terms. “He was amazing and addressed everyone’s concerns,” explains Marissa. “I was never a ‘brainiac’ in math, but the repetition of tasks helped to alleviate my fears and self-doubts.” Now, a frequent guest speaker at Sanft’s classes, Marissa encourages the new graduates to take ownership and not to be afraid to ask questions.
 
After course completion in March 2008, Marissa worked with Cindy Widman, employment support consultant at Goodwill/Easter Seals. Widman provided employment assistance and set up interviews for Marissa at U.S. Bank. “Marissa had all the ability to do an accounting job, she just needed a chance,” Widman says.

Two months after her job search began, Marissa was hired as an accounting specialist at US Bank, where she is responsible for posting transactions and reconciling customer disputes in the Controller’s Operation Research and Reconcilement department. Tonya, Marissa’s unit manager at U.S. Bank, is very satisfied with Marissa’s performance and ability to take on extra little assignments. “Marissa hit the ground running and is doing a great job,” explains Tonya. “Our normal on-site training is three months, but Marissa was able to take on a full work load in half that time.” 
 
Marissa’s future is much brighter than it was a year ago. She would like to move into the positions of team lead and manager and explore other opportunities within the bank. Someday, she may return to school to study accounting. Marissa and her family have moved from a tiny, two-bedroom apartment to a multilevel, three-bedroom, two-bath duplex with a deck and a two-car garage. “We love our new home and can pay for it!” beams Marissa. After her son graduates from high school next year, he plans to attend a two-year college in White Bear Lake, Minn. 

Marissa is grateful to Goodwill/Easter Seals for helping her make life-changing transitions. “From the first day of class through graduation, the focus was on helping all of us succeed,” explains Marissa. “I honestly don't know where I would be without the Goodwill/Easter Seals training and the support from Paul and Cindy. I would still be struggling and depending on the system instead of myself.” 

What you can to to help...

1. Support our mission using our convenient, secure online donation form.
2. Donate home decorations, dishes and houseware items to your local Goodwill store. Clicking this link opens our other Web site.
3. Volunteer. Clicking this link opens our other Web site.
4. If you're in the market for a new car, donate your used vehicle using our convenient online form -- and for many vehicles we provide free pick-up! Clicking this link opens our other Web site.
5. And don't forget to shop at Goodwill. Check out our upcoming Goodwill shopping events (clicking this link opens our other Web site). And you may even save a little money while investing in jobs for people in our community.