February 23, 2011
To whom it may concern,
My name is Toni and I am a single mother of three residing in Madison County, Ohio. On October 31,2010 1 received a phone call from my employer of over 5 years, that I was being laid off due to lack of work, effective immediately. For the first time in 24 years I am without a job and three children depending on me. I had just purchased our first home on September 30 and now at risk of loosing everything I have worked so hard to achieve for my family. After my first week of diligently searching for new employment and being turned down due to lack of college degree in my profession, I went into the Madison County resource room where I was told there is hope for furthering my education. I applied for the Workforce Investment Act program and was approved! For the first time, since my unemployment notification, I felt sense of relief that I will now have the opportunity to earn an education that will allow me to provide for my children and be able to keep our house. I heard that there is a chance that WIA program which has helped thousands of dislocated workers re-join the workforce might be terminated. I am just one voice of many that have been helped by the WIA program and hope that it will have the financial means and state backing to continue helping other individuals in the same situation I was in. Please keep the WIA program so that people have the opportunity to return to the workforce Educated!
Sincerely,
Toni
