During my life including working for over 20 years while raising a family, I have had several jobs where men were usually in a position of authority. These men would intimidate, harass, and act in inappropriate ways that were completely unacceptable. They would utilize their authority to take advantage of the fact that I was young and vulnerable. Having this happen to me affected me in a way that mentally traumatized me and should never happen to anyone. Therefore, when the #MeToo Movement went viral in October 2017, I was ecstatic that it was finally being brought to the forefront and acknowledged. Society still has a long way to go before women will be seen as equals. I nevertheless see so countless women in the workplace being treated like “pieces of meat” by men particularly in small companies where they know they can avoid punishment. Women should support women largely by providing them with resources such as education, such as training/tuition for low-income single mothers or older women displaced from a longtime job. I think additional free training programs should be provided by volunteers. Personally, I have looked on the PA CareerLink Website and all of the training courses are expensive for someone who, again, is unemployed. Another great volunteer program that I wish I knew about when I was younger is Americorps. They offer training, volunteerism, a place to live, a monthly stipend, and a great way to meet new people. The knowledge obtained from this organization is endless and will not only benefit the volunteer but so many others. As an unemployed woman in her late 40s, I am eager to volunteer because I want to support my community but because of COVID restrictions, it has been difficult to find an in-person organization. I wish to interact with people, especially women who were abused because I can relate to them and support them in any way I can. In the end, many more resources need to be accessible to women in all areas. It’s difficult when a person has to drive a distance to get to a group session particularly when most of these women don’t even have cars or someone to watch their children. Consequently, we can meet the above demands by setting up Petitions on a site such as Change.org, coordinating fundraising events to raise money for training programs, setting up websites where resources are easily accessible, and sending letters to our state representatives.

I live my life day to day just moving forward because when I start thinking too much about the things I have to do or the things that have happened to me, it's overwhelming. At 49, and today is my birthday, the last 10 years of my life have just been a blur between getting out of an abusive relationship, moving out of my house to move into a tiny room in my sister's house to getting laid off from a job I had for 19 years. The realization set in that the job I had been at was going nowhere so it was a blessing in disguise to be laid off from there and getting out of my abusive relationship obviously was good for me. It was just a lot of change in a short period of time but I needed that kick in the butt to get me back to who I was before. Now, I want to pursue my Bachelor's Degree in Healthcare Administration which will allow me the opportunity to seek employment with companies who share my same core values. Furthermore, my plan is to secure a position in a company who values their employees and gives back to the community. I want to make a difference in the community and help others who are less fortunate, especially women who were like me, in abusive relationships with little to no resources.