Perseverance and Accomplishment

Each day Saprina McAllister pins on her name tag before starting work as a courtesy clerk at Ralphs Supermarket and gives thanks. “When I get up in the morning I say ‘Thank God I have a job.’”

As a mother with a developmental disability and a daughter, Saprina needs her job. But before working at Ralphs, Saprina required consistent training, guidance and encouragement from the staff of the AbilityFirst L.L. Frank Work Center in Downtown Los Angeles, her first employer.

When Saprina first came to work at AbilityFirst her job assignments involved packaging and assembly. She had trouble learning the proper way to complete tasks. Staff at the work center explained to Saprina that patience and perseverance were the keys to accomplishing the work.

She improved so much that Saprina was recommended to AbilityFirst Employment Services for pre-employment training to help her gain important job and workplace skills so that she could succeed in the business world. Saprina learned the importance of arriving on time, working with others, and developing skills to work in a mainstream company.

When the position at Ralphs came open, Saprina worked with an AbilityFirst job coach on her interviewing skills and practiced bagging groceries. She was ecstatic when she got the job. Her hard work and determination had paid-off.

Saprina has a role in her community along with a sense of accomplishment. A regular paycheck allowed her to create a whole new life for her family. She has her own place and pays her own bills. AbilityFirst Employment Services has expanded Saprina’s possibilities.

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laura stewart
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