CUL Personas — Learn about those we serve!
Whether you’re Dante, Jordan, Danny, Brianna, Carl or Joyce, know that these symbolize the very real people who rely on your Columbus Urban League. Read their stories. Understand their struggles. Equally important, respect their strengths.
They may have been burdened just because they were born in the wrong zip code, made some bad choices (who hasn’t?) or were unfairly affected by poverty. But don’t count them out. They are resilient, they are strong, and they are determined. They just need a chance. With your help, we can connect them to the education, training, resources and confidence that empowers them to achieve their dreams, fulfill their potential, and fully participate in an economy where everyone has the ability to succeed.
Join us. Volunteer, be a mentor, teach a class, hire an intern… Give, your gift to our Prosperity Fund will be the difference. Maybe you can help a working mom afford childcare while she takes classes and earns her advanced manufacturing credentials. Or maybe you make it possible for a justice-involved citizen to earn a degree and start a new life. Or your gift could help a young person take a dreamed-of college visit or life-changing trip to a part of the world unimagined before.
The possibilities are endless and real.
Dante has faced tough times since his release from a 15-year sentence for possession charges. A 34-year-old Black man, Dante feels stuck by all the problems he’s encountered since returning to the community 18 months ago. Unstable housing, his criminal record, minimal work experience, toxic personal relationships – all these and more make it increasingly harder not to relapse or recidivate
Dante’s clinging to his commitment to build a new life and earn real respect. He earned his GED while in prison and he now wants to acquire stronger technology and soft skills. He seeks a supportive community that values redemption and personal growth and he understands that this type of support is critical to avoid falling back into illegal activities.
CUL’s Role in Dante’s Success:
CUL offers Dante job readiness training, interview practice and connections to employers willing to give second chances. Dante has started a pre-apprenticeship job in the construction industry while also taking classes at Columbus State.
CUL’s coaches with lived experience in the justice system offer Dante emotional support and thoughtful advice on how to cope with the challenges of reentry. Dante is now working to re-establish relationships with his teenagers and supporting them in applying to enroll them in CUL’s Work Readiness Training University. He’s looking forward to taking financial literacy courses and has a keen interest in classes that teach investment strategies.
Jordan, 21, lives with her grandmother in subsidized housing and relies on public assistance. Her ability to get a job is diminished due to a low GPA in high school, no formal work experience, and a juvenile record for a non-violent offense. She struggles with low self-esteem and feels judged by society.
Despite these challenges, Jordan is eager to achieve financial independence and serve as a positive role model for her younger siblings. She helps out with family responsibilities and babysits. She would love to get the skills to pursue a career. She’s really passionate about working in technology or healthcare.
CUL’s Role in Jordan’s Success:
Jordan learned soft skills and gained confidence and knowledge working with a job coach from CUL. Together, they found her first job, and she is working on completing certifications to become a medical assistant.
The financial education courses Jordan took at CUL taught her how to build credit. She is now beginning to save for her first home and she will enroll in CUL’s homebuyer education course too. Jordan also appreciates CUL’s coaches with lived experience in the justice system. They’re guiding her to work through her anxiety over the stigma of having a record and connecting her to professionals who can help expunge her record. She’s on her way to the life she hoped to live – and to being the role model she wanted to be for her family.
Twenty-seven-year-old Danny, a Hispanic husband and father, dreams of working full time in his own business. He works in the service industry while also managing a side hustle that specializes in junk removal and small-scale deliveries.
Although Danny owns a modest home and earns a stable, but limited income, his marginal credit score makes it nearly impossible to get loans and invest in new equipment, and his lack of formal business management experience hurts his ability to create a successful growth strategy. He juggles two jobs and his family in addition to his fledgling enterprise. He remains optimistic and determined to leave a legacy for his children.
CUL’s Role in Danny’s Success:
Danny becomes a successful full-time entrepreneur, thanks to CUL. Business coaches help him craft a savvy business plan, secure financing and begin scaling his company, hiring two people returning from incarceration.
Financial education courses teach him how to boost his credit scores and intentional networking opportunities lead him to new customers and partners. Workshops focused on marketing strategies, digital tools and customer acquisition techniques to grow his sales and add office locations and trucks.
A West Side kid, Brianna’s family situation pushed her into foster care and a group home before the age of 14. She lived with instability and was forced to switch schools. A private person, she didn’t share a lot with others but she did feel like the girls in her group home were extended family. She had no exposure to career opportunities or life past high school. Her life was solely focused on surviving day to day.
She likes to work and talk about politics and business. Many are impressed by her maturity and her quiet, serious approach to life. Very bright and curious, she has a great potential despite her difficult circumstances.
CUL’s Role in Brianna’s Success:
Brianna was selected for CUL’s Workforce Readiness Training University. For the first time, she earned a paycheck and had the chance to think about what her future could be. A “wiz at her Chromebook,” Brianna attended career exploration workshops. She worked on her resume, engaged in mock interviews, learned about how to better manage her money and opened her first savings account. She even came up with the idea of using Monopoly to teach smart money practices to other teens.
Now back with her mother, Brianna looks to her future with hope. She intends to become the first in her family to graduate from college and opening a nonprofit so other teens in foster care can also pursue their dreams past high school.
Carl, 63, navigates life as a widower with two adult children and a grandchild. Residing in a small, rented home, his sole income is $18,000 annually in Social Security benefits.
Carl worked for more than three decades in manufacturing but he was laid off when the company downsized. Health challenges, especially arthritis, limit his job prospects as do gaps in this employment history when he stepped back to take care of his late wife. He needs support to overcome his fears about being overlooked due to his age and his anxiety about using technology. He really wants to go back to retrain or upskills, get a part-time job that he can physically handle and earn money for his grandchild’s education.
CUL’s Role in Carl’s Success:
CUL gave Carl access to coursework that strengthened his office technology skills. This step opened up new job options that were less physically demanding. With a career coach mentoring and supporting him, Carl landed a new role at a meaningful nonprofit organization.
He then turned his attention to his finances, learning budgeting and debt management techniques from CUL wealth-building coaches. This started his granddaughter’s college fund. And in the course of reviewing his expenditures it became clear that Carl’s monthly rent was too high for the market, so housing coaches helped him locate a new place closer to his children and with better access to transportation and health care.
A high school graduate who completed some college courses, Joyce earns $22,000 annually working part-time as a cashier. She has a background in retail and food services, but her limited skills, experiences and gaps in her work history due to caregiving responsibilities make it challenging for her to secure a better-paying job. Her confidence is low and she has no professional network to lift her up.
She also worries about her children’s safety, health and educational opportunities. They live in a two-bedroom apartment in a low-income neighborhood, rely on public transportation and have limited access to childcare. Highly motivated, determined, and resilient, Joyce is willing to work hard to secure the skills needed for a higher-wage full-time job and stabilize her family.
CUL’s Role in Joyce’s Success:
With CUL’s support, Joyce has the funds to acquire the career-specific skills certifications that make her employable in a stable field. These same resources help her pay for childcare, tuition and other costs associated with her career transition. And she looks to enroll in advanced training options in the future.
The organization enrolls her in financial literacy courses, connects her with mentors and professionals to offer coaching, networking and support and assists her in buying a used car and hiring a math tutor for her child. Joyce is on track to achieve long-term financial independence and break the cycle of poverty for her and her children.