Like many residents at Renaissance West, Monique is a mother with three sons who moved to Little Rock five years ago after living with her mother. “Working with a Life Navigator” is just one way that she describes how herself and her family have grown since moving to Renaissance West. She loves that her boys can “meet with Cub Scouts” in the neighborhood and she can “connect with resources” to “further her education and prepare for a better future for [her] children”.
Monique has enjoyed working with her Life Navigator, Jeanease, who helps her with “goal setting and mentorship.” She is also utilizing on-site resources to help her on her achieve goals. Monique meets with Marsha from Community Link who helps her form a family budget and stick with it each month. On Tuesdays, she meets with NC Works who is available each week at the John T. Crawford Community Center. NC Works representative assigned to Renaissance West, Kim, helped Monique enroll in a CMA program (Certified Medical Assistant). Then the Life Navigator, Jeanease, helps provide encouragement and accountability for Monique to continue moving in a positive direction towards achieving her goals.
When asked “What are your goals for yourself?” Monique responded that she wants to complete her education, work towards homeownership, begin nursing school and find full-time employment. As Jeanease talks regularly with Monique, they talk about her short-term goals for the upcoming year, which are to begin nursing school and focus on improving her mental health.
In the last year, Renaissance West Community Initiative (RWCI) has increased the employment rate among Little Rock residents from 42% to 71%.
