Patricia Gardner was stuck in a job where she had limited growth, was barely making ends meet, and was tired of the lack of compassion of those around her. So, she made a life-changing decision to work towards becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) through Eastside Concerned Citizens, a United Way funded program and agency that works to improve the welfare of and address issues of poverty in the neighborhood.

Patricia graduated the program in May 2018 and now she runs her own business, Honees Home Healthcare Services. She is proud of the reputation she has built in the community and her compassion is the driving force behind restoring dignity to her patients. Her business is growing rapidly and it won’t be long before she needs to add to her staff to better serve the needs of her patients.

After earning her CNA, Patricia became more self-sufficient professionally but it affected her personal life as well. She was able to help pay for family funeral expenses and support those around her when they needed it most.

Patricia is one of 1,280 individuals who worked with United Way to remove a barrier blocking her economic opportunities.
Patricia is thankful to United Way and Eastside Concerned Citizens for the opportunity to finally do what she loves and on her own terms. She says she would like to pay it forward and care it forward by giving back to United Way the money that was invested in her certification training.

You can help more people like Patricia by giving to United Way.