A year and a half ago, 50-year-old “Amy” had spent most of her life as a stay-at-home mom. She home-schooled her six children but as her marriage began to fall apart, she felt isolated and the constant stress often gave her crippling headaches.
After a divorce, Amy, who asked her name not be used, said she felt she had nowhere to go, and her self-esteem plummeted.
That’s when she learned about a class called Pathways to Work, hosted by Lynnwood’s Pathways for Women YWCA instructor Wendy Clarke.
The class, which is offered at different locations in Snohomish County and Shoreline every month, is designed specifically for women who need to re-enter the workforce because of divorce, separation, death or disability of a spouse, or loss of welfare. There is no cost to those who participate.
Typically, the class includes women who qualify as “displaced homemakers,” Clarke said. These are women who have stayed at home full-time for at least 10 years and who’ve had a recent decline in their income that’s forcing them to go back to work.
The current class is at St. Peter by the Sea Lutheran Church in Edmonds and has six participants with a range of backgrounds and economic situations.
“We’ve had women who have been on public assistance, and women who have been married to doctors,” Clarke said.
The similarities, though, are usually what bring the women to the class.
“They are all wrestling with the question of ‘what do I do now?’” Clarke said.
Through the intensive 58 hour, 10-day class, Clarke works with the women to first stabilize their situation and peace of mind. Participants go through personality testing to discover their talents and interests. They also have access to two free counseling sessions as well as help with resumes and interview skills. Participants also get three complete clothing outfits for interviews through the Everett YWCA working wardrobe program.
“When (the women) walk in, they usually feel hopeless and overwhelmed,” Clarke said. “But when they leave, they have a direction and they feel that they can do this.”
Amy found this true for her. Now 51, she works in an office and has renewed self-esteem. Her divorce is final and her children attend public school.
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