Employment Network, The Window: Kimberly’s Story
Kimberly and her service dog, Flor, check out the roses outside the Employment Network office on Zanker Road in San Jose.
After moving to San Jose in late 2019, Kimberly found herself unhoused and with no resources in a new city when the pandemic hit. “I ended up living for several years along the Guadalupe River,” she says. “It was tough. But it made me more resilient, more aware of services I needed and to work hard to get them.”
Kimberly – who holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy and was previously a regional sales manager for a financial institution – eventually moved into a shelter for 14 months and connected with the Department of Rehabilitation and then Catholic Charities. She continues to access services through The Window at John XXIII, stopping by to get a sandwich, hygiene products, and other personal items, like socks. She also is utilizing the mailbox services offered by The Window to individuals in non-permanent housing so that they may have an address to receive their mail.
Currently, Kimberly is living in emergency interim housing and seeking support through our Employment Network to rejoin the workforce. Program Coordinator Jocelyn Sanchez DeNardo is supporting Kimberly as she works on her resume and interviewing skills. Together they take the steps that will help Kimberly find a job that suits her talents and ability on a timeline based on her personal progress.
“As a person who is neurodivergent, part of what Catholic Charities has helped me with is how to talk to employers about accommodations, what my legal rights are, and how to advocate and communicate the skills that I have,” Kimberly says. Her goal is to find permanent housing and a job where she applies the experiences of her own life as a positive asset rather than a detriment.
“I’m reframing my mindset, my motivations and my self esteem. It’s not too late for me.”
