HARTFORD, Conn — United Way supports programs, initiatives, and services across Connecticut that help people get career opportunities, so families can live beyond "making ends meet."
Victor Sosa is a testament to the United Way mission.
"I used to work all day, then come to school the next day, work again, then I would close the store at midnight and come to school at six in the morning," Sosa told FOX61.
One day, his teacher told him about the Pratt & Whitney Entry Level pipeline program, supported by United Way. She explained to him that it provides hands-on experience, certifications, connections and full-time employment opportunities.
"She said I had nothing to lose and to just apply for it, so I did," Sosa said, reflecting on that day in 2018. "I remember I told my mom, hey, look, this program could change our lives."
And he was right. Now three years since being a part of the pipeline first cohort, Sosa works full-time as an Airfoil Cell Operator where he coats blades for jet engines.
"What it's done with my family has introduced us to a whole new world of a lifestyle we didn't even know was possible," Sosa explained passionately. "And this is just a normal lifestyle, we we're just living I guess you can say paycheck to paycheck before, now we're actually pretty well off."
Kelly Fitzgerald is the Senior Director of Financial Stability with United Way of Greater New Haven. While she has been with United Way for just a few years, she has been in workforce development for more than a decade.
Fitzgerald said she still gets goosebumps when she hears Sosa's success story through United Way because it is the perfect example of the organization.
"We can connect with employers, we can connect with job seekers, and we can connect with community partners," Fitzgerald added. "Being able to bring all of those things together to really like reinstate that sense of community is what brings me back to this job every day."
It's a job that helps people like Sosa succeed and go beyond just "making ends meet."
United Way said that the job market remains complex due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Connecticut United Ways encourage local employers to meet workers' needs at work.
For more information on how you can help people in your communities get jobs through united way, click here.
If you need assistance, call 2-1-1 or go online at www.211ct.org
Raquel Harrington is the race and culture reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at rharrington@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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