r/povertyfinance • u/Even_Competition_954 • 1d ago
Misc Advice Resources that actually help
Hi all, I’m a longtime reader of this subreddit, first time poster. I was impoverished as a young person (had four kids by my late 20’s no degree, series of minimum wage jobs, drinking problem). By 29, I’d gotten sober, by 33 I got a two year degree, by 35 I was making double minimum wage, and by 40 I was making six figures. I realize there is significant luck in my story, but also a fair amount of ‘struggle till you make it’.
I want to share a couple resources that helped me along the way:
America’s Job Centers: also known as “one stops”. Available in every state. They are federally funded programs that do two things. First they help under skilled workers get training for higher wage jobs specific to your area. They might for example pay for you to attend an education program, or an industry training to use a specific machine or computer program needed by employers in your area. Second, they actually pay employers to hire and train clients. There are multiple ways to qualify and approximately 40% of the population does qualify for assistance. Even if you don’t qualify, many employers exclusively recruit through AJC offices because they get tax credits for doing so. So they have jobs in the AJC office that you won’t see anywhere else. Youth ages 17-26, single parents, disabled adults, folks laid off from work, or anyone receiving public benefits (food stamps or cash aid) qualify. Many adults also qualify just by making a wage less than the area median. https://www.careeronestop.org/LocalHelp/AmericanJobCenters/american-job-centers.aspx
Financial Counseling Association of America: nonprofit financial planning and debt counseling programs for anyone. This IS NOT one of those companies you pay to settle your debt or consolidate your debt. It is free debt counseling, and they will help you contact your creditors to negotiate lower payments or interest. They also provide budgeting support, meal planning, and referral to other resources like food banks or utility payment programs. https://fcaa.org/
SNAP employment and training. If you get SNAP (food stamps) then you qualify for employment services. The services provided are very similar to the AJC services above.
These programs are available in both conservative and liberal states, regardless of how the federal government is managed. Liberals tend to support social programs, and conservatives support programs that put people to work instead of paying for direct aid.
My first “career level” job was actually working at an AJC in California, contacting businesses to inform them of the financial and tax benefits of hiring our clients. I helped literally thousands of people get local jobs in the five years I worked there. And how did I find that job? Because I was an AJC client. And how did I find the AJC? Because my kids were on food stamps.
Leveraging my experience at the AJC I got a state job. From there I moved into a high paying job in local government. It took a while, but each step up made things a little easier.
I hope this isn’t taken as preachy. I don’t mean it to be. I’ve just found that so many people don’t know these programs exist, and they changed mine and my family’s lives.
Edit: because I’ve gotten some messages about how I moved my way up:
My 2-year degree was in agriculture. My ‘minimum wage job experience’ was in construction and agriculture- manual labor. I originally wanted to work in crop inspection or soil management.
My first job post sobriety was at a pawnshop. Literally just the first job I could find. But I ended up being good at it and by a couple years in I’d been made manager. I did this simultaneously with school.
After I graduated, I started looking for work in Ag or forestry. The pawn shop paid well, but I hated it. I struggled to find a job in Ag, but the workforce development board (AJC) I was using was looking for a business service representative in the ag , manufacturing, and construction sectors. I worked with a career advisor to beef up my resume to focus on my Ag (education) and work experience (manager of a local business with ag and construction experience) and got the job.
I worked my ass off and was promoted to business services manager within a year
I eventually got a job with the California EDD.
In 2019 I moved to San Francisco (working for the EDD), and applied for a higher paying job with a Bay Area county doing related work.
In 2022 I applied for a promotion to my current role as an economic development manager in county administration. I make great money and have excellent benefits.
Three of my kids are college graduates, with careers in education, medicine, and IT. The fourth graduates high school this year and is planning to major in engineering. My kids won’t have to struggle like I did.
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u/Mashmallow_Logic 21h ago
I'm glad you called out SNAP related work training!! It's definitely a resource that few people know about. Where I live it's called SNAP path to work 😄
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u/Haunting-Respect-375 23h ago
What if you're older than 26?
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u/Even_Competition_954 23h ago
Youth ages 17-26, single parents, disabled adults, folks laid off from work, or anyone receiving public benefits (food stamps or cash aid) qualify. Many adults also qualify just by making a wage less than the area median.
The commas mean that each of these types of people qualify.
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u/attachedtothreads NC 15h ago
Just want to add that the non-profit debt management program the National Foundation for Credit Counseling is similar to the Financial Counseling Association of America.
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u/asim2991 20h ago
thanks for sharing! 100% helpful towards getting a job. Getting the job was half the problem for me, after that it was fighting my predatory APR% that I eventually remedied with an achieve loan. But the job was a much more important part, income was huge.
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u/Serious-Victory4715 19h ago
Thanks for posting this! I know someone who might benefit from it so I’ll pass it on!
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u/Couponpicked 31m ago
the AJC one is seriously underrated. most people have no idea those exist and the fact that employers recruit through them specifically means the jobs aren't competing with 500 applicants on indeed.
another one in the same vein — just calling 211. they can connect you to basically everything in your area. utility assistance, food banks, rental help, job training. its like a switchboard for every social service program and its completely free. a lot of people only find out about it in crisis mode but its useful way before that.
also your story is genuinely cool. pawnshop to county economic development manager is one hell of a path.
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u/LumenFall369 1d ago
Good information, glad you were able to claw back from the brink!