Kristen Byles, 24, and the mother of a 5-year-old girl and 1-year-old boy, became homeless after her father and stepmother moved out of state. When she could no longer remain with her boyfriend and his family, she stayed in hotels, shelters, and her car – while pregnant. Fortunately, she was able to participate in a subsidized employment and job training program through the UAW-LETC South LA Work Source Center. A month into the program, she was placed in permanent housing and eventually found unsubsidized employment as a security guard. “Being at UAW helped me to develop skills such as working with the public, being able to work on my own, and be trusted,” she said. “Helping people and seeing that my help really made an impact made me feel good. I loved to see people walk out with smiles and be happy when I wasn’t even all the way there myself.”
