Laura Singleton, Family Advocate

So I know that my postings have been few and far between during the month of August, but I promise I have a good excuse for it. And even better than that, I promise that I can now fill you in on EVERYTHING that has been going on! Up to this point there have been too many uncertainties for me to feel comfortable discussing these different situations, but now...game on!

Big news: I am starting a new job on September 1st!

I have held off on discussing any and all job-related stuff on here, primarily because I was afraid I would jinx myself. And on top of my superstitious tendencies, I also had not talked to my current supervisor about this new job, and I felt I should discuss it with him before I post about it all over the internet! After all, he is the one who has been pushing to keep me employed for the past 4 months...I owed it to him, bigtime. But I told him my big news this morning when I arrived at work, and he sent me on my merry way with lots of congratulations and a promise to be a reference in the future (YAY!). And because I can't handle being jobless for even one day, I will still be working here at the college until August 31st. And really, who only gives 3 days notice to an employer they like anyhow?

A little background on all of this craziness, and to shed some light on my reasons for leaving my current employer...I have been working as a temporary employee since January 2010, when I moved home. I am so thankful and lucky to have had this position in the unsteady economic turmoil that is California, but since May it has been a little stressful. Technically, my temporary status was up at the end of May and, while they filed more paperwork to keep me employed, I wouldn't know if I was hired back until the last week of the month. Oh yeah, and I was getting married then, too. Slightly stressful situation, right? So I came back to work in June after the honeymoon, and was once again faced with impending unemployment at the last week of June...which didn't happen. In the meantime, to cover my tail, I had been putting out applications left and right to keep myself afloat and employed...I couldn't risk being 100% unemployed. I was once again faced with the unemployment situation at the end of July, but this time it actually happened. My current employer no longer had the funding to keep me on and they had to let me go for the month of August. During my (one week) unemployment, I was called in for an interview with the Yreka Community Resource Center. On the day of my interview I was actually called BACK to work because someone had miraculously found funding to employ me again. Holy cow, are you confused yet? I decided then and there to fully pursue this Americorps opportunity during my temporary re-hire period, because I was simply tired of wondering and waiting. And I am SO GLAD THAT I DID!

So what is this new job? I will be working as a Family Advocate for the Americorps at the Yreka Community Resource Center. The position will be working a lot to provide family support to families and youth of all ages in our community, which is right up my alley! I am so very excited to be working directly within my hometown community, and to be back in the realm of kids again! Words do not describe how much I have missed working with kids. They are all kinds of challenging, but the best kind of rewarding. And I feel like my life could really use that right now!

Technically, I am a volunteer. The Americorps doesn't really do "wages." They provide you with a living stipend, benefits, and a fabulous education credit at the end of the eleven month term that can be used toward my numerous student loans. The funny thing is, taking all of these "stipends and benefits" into account, I will still be making more as a volunteer, doing something related to my degree, than I would be working my current part-time job. I could provide you with my many scribbles and mathematic equations to prove this...but you should just take my word for it.

It's amazing how good it feels to be wanted. I have been turned down (or not even considered) for so many jobs in the past 8 months that I was really starting to feel poorly about myself. Silly, right? To place so much self-worth on your career? I have had so many other changes going on in my life in the past 8 months, being turned down for jobs shouldn't have even bothered me. But I just couldn't get past it...I have never had trouble getting a job. Ever. In my whole life.

So, in my newfound happiness of being hired, I am chalking the past 8 months up to our terrible ecomony and life experience, and am excited to move forward with this fabulous opportunity and the fabulous ladies at the Yreka Community Resource Center!