Women’s Care Cottage Offers Hope, Job Training

Deborah Johnson wants to be a nurse.

To many, that might not sound special.

But to Johnson, her two children and the people at the Women’s Care Cottage in North Hollywood, her decision is music to their ears.

Just a few months ago, Johnson was a homeless woman who was searching for her next meal instead of a job or a way to get her 6-year-old twins back from child welfare services.

Because of the programs offered at the cottage, Johnson has her own apartment and, more importantly, direction. She is studying at the cottage’s career center and working to get her children back.

The center, which opened in September, is a place where women learn, step by step, how to start a career.

“I have a lot more hope now,” said Johnson, 27. “I know what I have to do to achieve my goals.”

The center helps women, many of whom have never held a job, visualize what they must do to get a job.

Several women come daily to peruse books about interviewing anxiety, learning the Internet and creating the perfect resume. In another room, they can use one of the center’s four computers to find on-line job information.

A hall closet is full of donated business suits and dress clothes the women can wear for job interviews. And before the training begins, each woman goes through a self-esteem workshop.