Dominga Leon first walked through the doors of LIFT-Los Angeles back in December 2016. She was searching for organizations that could connect her with food banks, access to bus tokens and toy donations for her children Carlos Jr. (13), Valeria (8) and Mia (3). At a time when only her husband could afford to work, her family was strapped for resources and it left Dominga feeling hopeless about her future. “I would walk around with my head down.” But that’s when she found LIFT.
Dominga shared with us that before LIFT, she didn’t feel confident–especially when it came to applying for jobs. She knew she needed to find a well-paying job to help secure her family’s basic needs, but felt a crippling sense of self-doubt when faced with the challenges of language barriers and a lack of a college degree.
During one of her meetings, Dominga’s LIFT coach introduced her to our career pathways workshop series and asked her if she wanted to attend. Although she was unsure, she took a leap of faith and decided to sign-up. That leap turned out to be just the push Dominga needed.
“The workshop was life-changing. I learned how to prepare for an interview and how to advocate for myself!”
She walked out of the workshop feeling confident and excited. And it couldn’t have happened at a more perfect time, as she had secured a job interview for later that day at a local restaurant. At her interview, she walked up to the owner and gave him a confident handshake. “I know that’s why he remembered me, because I did the handshake just how Frank (LIFT-Los Angeles Program Manager) taught us during the workshop.” The owner called her back and offered her a full-time job.
Dominga’s newfound confidence went beyond just that job interview. With the assistance of her LIFT coach, she enrolled at Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC) so she could start taking ESL and culinary classes. Proud of the effort she was putting into learning new skills through her class, Dominga’s boss rewarded her by not only giving her a raise, but also by adding some of Dominga’s dessert recipes to the restaurant’s menu!
Since starting her job, Dominga has also opened her first savings account and has saved $800 as of today!
Dominga’s ultimate goal is to achieve her lifelong dream of purchasing a home for her family. We’re proud of the incredible work she’s done thus far, and know that with LIFT-Los Angeles by her side and her head held high, there’s nothing she can’t achieve.
Pictured above is Dominga and her sponsor family from our most recent LIFT Holiday Fiesta!