Timmikki Brown is 37, single, and mother to a 14-year old daughter. She had a strong work history, having been employed as an Administrative Assistant, a Lead Cook, a Home Health Aide, and a Food and Nutrition Supervisor…but was unemployed when she enrolled in KRA’s Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program in Baltimore, Maryland. The Program, which is 12 weeks in duration, provides comprehensive Community Work Experience (CWE), occupation-specific skills training, and job-search and placement assistance for recipients of Temporary Cash Assistance benefits.
CWE, 3 days a week, and Professional Development Workshops, 2 days a week, are mandatory parts of the Program, so after intake and assessments were completed, Timmikki chose to fulfill her CWE requirement at a local child care center. However, when it was announced that KRA was offering customers the opportunity to attend a 90-hour Child Care Certificate Course, Timmikki, and five other participants, jumped at the chance…especially since the 90 hours would count toward their program-participation hours’ requirement.
Timmikki enrolled on January 9, 2012, at Sojourner-Douglass College, and not only graduated on March 15, 2012, but served as a Keynote Speaker for the event. The graduation attendees, which included Nate’ Gordon, KRA Project Director; Celeste Simmons, KRA Operations Manager; and Benjamin Zambali, Timmikki’s KRA Career Agent, were all inspired to hear Timmikki speak about how determined she was to make the most of this opportunity, and not become discouraged because of her current situation. In fact, she was so determined to succeed, that while still studying, she had submitted job applications to several child care centers in Baltimore City and Baltimore County.
Shortly after graduation, Timmikki received a call from Tooney Town Early Learning Center offering her a job, which she gladly accepted. She is working as a Teacher, with children up to the age of 12, and in her own words, reported “The experience was wonderful and I am really glad for the opportunity to be part of it. I believe I was in the right place, at the right time!”
Dr. Boone’s 20+ years’ experience in the industry is extensive and her expertise in private-, public-, and non-profit sector workforce-services organizations is unparalleled, particularly in the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan area.
