When Roberto rang the bell in the entryway of WorkFaith’s offices, he was close to despair. A banking professional, Roberto had been pushed out of his job when the economic landscape in El Salvador began to shift in favor of younger earners. If that wasn’t difficult enough, in 2021, his country became the first in the world to use Bitcoin as legal tender. This resulted in the drop of Roberto’s pension payments from $4,000 a month to less than $300. He could no longer afford to live and provide for his family, so he moved with his wife to the U.S.
Upon his arrival in America, Roberto discovered that his licensure no longer applied. While he was willing to start from the beginning, it was emotionally overwhelming: the lack of jobs for Spanish-speakers created an uphill battle that seemed impossible to overcome, and long shifts in fields he had little to no experience in took him away from his family. He felt hopeless.
When Roberto learned about WorkFaith online, he came to our office in person. Unsure of what to expect, he was greeted by our bilingual career coach, Alex Rodriquez. Roberto’s eyes immediately filled with tears as he told Alex, “I don’t know what purpose I have anymore.”
Alex informed Roberto about our Job Search Accelerator program being held in Spanish at a nearby church. When Roberto attended the JSA class, he learned how to format his resume properly, fill out a job application, and best practices for interviewing in the U.S.
Roberto began applying to jobs utilizing his new resume. Not long after, he experienced success! Roberto now works as a Funeral Services salesperson. But the greatest blessing of Roberto’s journey was finding a church home. As it happened, the church where Roberto attended the JSA training evolved into a supportive community for Roberto and his wife.
Following his experience with WorkFaith, Roberto is employed, equipped for even greater success in his future, and befriended by a Spanish-speaking community that reminds Roberto of how God loves him. The difference this makes in Roberto’s life is profound:
“That was the way for God to tell me, ‘I’m here for you. I’m going to help you. Don’t give up. I’m taking your hand.’”