Mehki faced multiple, intersecting barriers that made seeking and maintaining assistance particularly challenging. As a young single parent, he was solely responsible for child care, which limited his availability to attend in-person appointments, complete lengthy applications, or respond promptly to requests for documentation.
High school graduates and young adults have an opportunity to work as paid interns this summer at Deaconess Illinois in Mt. Vernon through Man-Tra-Con’s Work Experience Program.
The award recognized the work Man-Tra-Con Training & Reintegration Career Specialist Robert Angle has done in collaboration with Freddie Buckingham from the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) for their work on the Southern Region Re-Entry Virtual Job Fair project.
“Nolen consistently shows up with a positive attitude and a willingness to help, no matter the situation. Nolen works through challenges as they arise and steps in when needed, even outside regular hours, to ensure things are taken care of,” Stephanie says.
“Tammy is the glue that holds our office together. While much of her work happens out of the spotlight, the reality is simple: without her, our office wouldn’t function the way it does, and our board meetings wouldn’t happen as seamlessly as they do,” says CEO Stephanie Robinson.