JOLIE

An Account Executive in radio ad sales

I got laid off from my job at a big broadcast firm in January, 2004. I’d been working for 15 years in media and decided to use this break in order to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. I wanted to be closer to my family, so I thought, “Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.”

I moved to New York and a month later I got into a really bad car accident that fractured two bones in my lower back. It was scary—I couldn’t walk and needed a lot of rehabilitation. My unemployment was running out by then and I applied for disability, but it took a really long time to come.

I had known someone in San Francisco who had an aneurism and got help from BAARC, so I called BAARC from the hospital. Soon I got a call from my volunteer caseworker and we got going on the paperwork.

They made things very easy. My caseworker was really wonderful. She called me with questions and I would fax her my reply. We stayed in close touch.

When BAARC said they would help out, I was very, very elated. I was living with my sister and they helped me pay my share of the rent. BAARC was also a lifesaver in helping me pay for acupuncture treatment. It was the only thing that helped with the pain.

The only savings I had, I spent on physical therapy. Basically my sister is supporting me. I’m now living in what was her husband’s office in their apartment. He was laid off from his job recently, so it’s difficult.

You don’t want to depend on people, you want to be self-sufficient. My parents have passed away and my sister was dealing with her kids and stuff. Now she has another burden, which is me.

Advertising is a dog-eat-dog industry and the way I was terminated was really unfair. So I was kind of surprised when BAARC said they would help me out. The best thing about my BAARC experience is dealing with my caseworker. She’s always so upbeat, so concerned about how I am doing. I found her to be very genuine. It’s not even so much the money— although that was really important—but the caring and extra steps she took to figure out what she could do for me.

I’m very grateful to BAARC. They’re not helping me financially right now. But I’m looking for work and BAARC has someone lined up to help me with my resume.

"I daresay that many fine folks helped engineer a minor miracle for me."
-Grant Recipient

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