Fresh Start Women's Foundation

Tina* came to Fresh Start hoping to build a new career. Along the way, she rebuilt her confidence, rediscovered her strength, and began believing in herself again. 🧡

A mother of five, Tina has fallen on hard times, landing herself and her children in a homeless shelter. Seeking support, she was referred to Fresh Start. Once through the doors, Tina found an unexpected source of inspiration: a trades magazine encouraging women to enter the field, and on the cover, a former Fresh Start career training graduate. She took it with her and when the magazine fell out of her backpack a few days later, Tina took it as a sign to learn more.

“I thought, ‘Okay, I want to be one of those [success stories],’” Tina shared.

Tina enrolled in Fresh Start’s Construction Flagger career training program with one goal: start something and finish it. Although she hadn’t been in a classroom for years, the support she found changed everything.

“When I came to class, all my doubts faded away. I knew I was actually doing something,” Tina said. “I had other ladies around me in similar situations, and we were all striving for the same things…I’ve never had support like this.”

After completing the program, Tina became the first woman in her cohort to be hired as a Construction Flagger.

“The day you choose to not listen to the outside world and be who you are, own who you are, and move forward, then the sky is the limit. I know my worth. I know what I can do.”

Today, Tina is thriving at Southwest Barricades, earning additional certifications and setting her sights on becoming an equipment operator. The confidence she rediscovered through Fresh Start and the program continues to guide her every step.

“Fresh Start has empowered me and made me realize what I’d lost sight of…the support is what we need. We need someone to hear us, someone to be there for us, and Fresh Start has done that for me, 110% and more.”

Inspired by Tina’s story and ready to explore your career potential? Learn more about Fresh Start’s Construction Flagger program and other support services at https://hubs.la/Q04p6KSs0