A Client Finds Meaningful Employment Through JOBS

By Heather Varanyak, Probation Officer Camden Vicinage?

I started working in the collection unit in the Camden Vicinage Probation Division in December 2021 when my supervisor asked me to make some phone calls about job opportunities for probation clients.?

The probation division joined with Cooper University Hospital to offer probation clients a great employment opportunity. I took this task not knowing what a rewarding experience watching our clients grow and prosper would be.

Probation Officer Eloiza Jimenez contacted me in May 2022 seeking assistance for one of her clients, who seemed to be a perfect fit for Cooper. The client, Lisa Brown, had a background working in kitchens, but more importantly, she had the drive and the willingness to work hard.

After completing the interview process, background checks and orientations, Brown began working as a chef in the cafeteria at Cooper on Aug. 8. I had been in contact with her throughout the process, and I was excited to finally meet her in-person and hear about her new position.

Brown said she earned her culinary arts certificate and worked in kitchens her entire career and loves her work. She said she became involved in the court system more than 10 years ago and that she was released from prison in 2009. She said she found it hard to find a job because of her background.

Brown worked at the Sterling Manor Nursing Home in Mount Laurel from 2015 to 2022 but was later denied other jobs. Frustrated and discouraged, she finally found a job in the kitchen at Homewood Suites in Mount Laurel. Brown has had to rely on public transportation to get to work because she does not have a driver’s license or vehicle.

When she worked in Mount Laurel, she would leave her home at 4 a.m., board a bus to the transportation center in Camden, and then wait an additional 45 minutes to catch the bus that would take her from Camden to the Moorestown Mall. She then had to walk several miles to work and often would be 30 minutes late. Brown said she grew tired of the commute and feared for her safety. However, she was grateful to have a job.

Once the opportunity with Cooper arose, she pursued it immediately, as she knew that was closer to home and a better fit. Brown arrives at the hospital 30 minutes early each day. She prepares lunch and dinner for the staff and hospital patients from 5 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. She said the head chef sees her potential and anticipates her assuming more responsibilities.

Meanwhile, Brown still works at Homeward Suites on Wednesdays. She said she leaves Cooper at 1:30 p.m., boards a bus in Camden, travels 45 minutes to Moorestown and then walks from the mall to Homeward Suites. She said she still works there because she loves the guests and cooking for them.

Brown has four grandchildren, two boys and two girls, who mean the world to her, and she does whatever it takes to support them and her children. She hopes to one day get her driver’s license and a car so she can spend more time with her grandchildren. She said she is looking forward to that day, knowing that having a car signifies that she put in the work that was needed to realize her aspirations. Brown said everyone makes mistakes and that she would love to see the stigma of having a criminal background change so that others like her are given a chance to succeed.