How Grant Funding Helped Vianca Stay In Training and Grow Her Career

Before her incarcerated, Vianca struggled with addiction and homelessness. When she released from jail in Lynwood County, California in 2024, she was finally sober and determined to rebuild her life. Although ready to find a job and create a new future, she knew she lacked the resources and support needed to succeed, until she was connected to Turning Point.

“They got me housing, and I started their hiring program,” said Vianca.

“Soon, I was training to be a security guard, and I had enrolled in a pre-apprenticeship program for construction.”

Although Turning Point found her a place to live and introduced her to employment opportunities that were previously unavailable to her, Vianca’s financial instability soon became a potential impediment to her success in these programs.

“I started getting stressed out because I didn’t have the money. I needed to get to work on time every day using Uber, Lyft, or public transportation,” said Vianca.

Thanks to Turning Point and their partnership with the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), Vianca received $2,500 in cash assistance through the CA HIRE Grant program for needs-based essentials, and she obtained what she needed to continue her training and pursue her professional education.

“I could afford the equipment I needed for work, like my boots, a hard hat, and my safety vest,” said Vianca.

“But, most importantly, I bought a used car and could pay for gas so I could get to and from work easily.”

For individuals with a criminal record, finding meaningful employment is a constant struggle that is often exacerbated by the absence of reliable or accessible transportation. Especially in California, owning a car can often decide just how many job opportunities and career paths are available to you.

Meanwhile, a report from the Brookings Institute found that nearly half of formerly incarcerated people had no reported earnings in the year after their release, with only 20 percent of those with jobs reporting annual earnings above $15,000. And multiple other guaranteed income programs around the country connect the receipt of unconditional cash with a variety of indicators of well-being for formerly incarcerated people.

For Vianca, financial support allowed her to complete the job training that would otherwise have passed her by.

“Without the money from the reentry cash assistance to buy my car, I don’t know if I would have been able to finish the work for my pre-apprenticeship,” said Vianca.

“Getting that car and not having to worry about how I was going to get to work every day was the biggest help.”

Today, thanks to the financial support, housing, and training provided through reentry programs, Vianca is now on her way to becoming an electrician through the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).