Bad News Comes in Threes

It has been a rough week. After learning Monday morning that Love Bug was being expelled from daycare permanently, a co-worker shared the news that a customer died from injuries sustained in a car crash that same morning. The woman had been attending training in the county near us. She was trying to better herself after years working in the manufacturing field. Through the Trade Act program she was able to go to training without any cost to her. I worked hard to find a solution for her because her testing scores were low, but we found a program that allowed her to increase her academic levels and prepare her for the occupational training. She had hoped to become a counselor. Just a week prior to the accident, she had been in the office meeting with one of her case managers. I didn't get a chance to talk to her because I was busy. She was so happy and excited to be in training, so proud of herself for how she was succeeding, even though the work was hard. She was on her way to class the morning of her death. A tractor trailer truck failed to stop in a construction zone. It slammed into my customer's car and hit two other vehicles before being stopped by a tree alongside the road. My customer as the only fatality, but others were hospitalized. When the training provider emailed me the next day to let me know what had happened, she expressed condolences and shared the consolation was our customer's strong faith. I hope she is resting in peace.

Since bad news comes in threes, I found out on Friday that it was my CHOR family worker's last day. She had taken a different job helping unaccompanied minors coming into our country. It is important work for her, not only because her family is from Mexico, but because she truly cares about young people and giving them a shot at a better life. She has been my family worker twice and always ca friendly face I knew I could count on at CHOR. I will miss her greatly, but I hope she is able to use her passion to help our community be a better place.