Nora first came to Gateway Hudson Valley for support in 2006, and in 2014, she began to participate in the Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS) program. Through PROS, she was referred to the Transitional Business Model (TBM) employment program, which gave Nora the tools to secure a job where she is respected, supported, and valued by her colleagues. Nora credits the PROS and TBM programs with helping her reach this milestone.

When Nora was referred to TBM in September 2019, she started an internship at the Gateway Café, where she gained important skills that could help her qualify for other employment. At the end of her 12- week internship, Nora did not feel ready to initiate a job search, and she expressed a desire to continue working at the café. To broaden her skillset, Nora was instead offered an internship with Gateway’s Senior Nutrition Program. There, she acquired food safety skills and assisted with portioning and packaging meal items.

After completing 12 weeks of work at Gateway’s Senior Nutrition Program, Nora requested a third internship. She was assigned to an off-site Senior Nutrition Program where hot meals are served directly to seniors. While interning at this site, Nora managed her own transportation and also developed transferable career skills, such as workplace communication. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 suspended all internship activities—including Nora’s. When remote PROS classes became available, Nora initially found it a challenge because she did not have computer skills or a smartphone. Her family purchased a tablet for her, and Gateway staff provided technical assistance, allowing her to receive the support she needed via Zoom during the early pandemic.

When Gateway resumed internal internships in July 2021, Nora accepted another internship in Gateway’s kitchen. Thanks to her prior experiences, Nora felt that her confidence and communication skills had improved enough to begin a job search. She first expressed interest in working as a Home Health Aide, but found that this role was not the right fit for her. Instead, she applied to work as a part-time Food Demonstrator at a local superstore, where she was hired in June 2022!

Today, Nora continues to work two days a week as a Food Demonstrator and thoroughly enjoys her job. In her two years of employment, she has been recognized as Employee of the Month three times, and she feels happy to be recognized and valued by her employer. Nora believes that she would not have been able to achieve these goals without the support of the Gateway staff. She feels that her job and continued support from Gateway’s programs are keeping her healthy!