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About Us
The Foundation for an Independent Tomorrow (FIT), established in 1997, is a 501(c)(3) qualified and United Way accredited charitable foundation, located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Our mission is to empower motivated, unemployed and underemployed southern Nevadans by helping them overcome barriers to financial independence, and to obtain the skills necessary for self-sufficient employment. People need to, and want to, support themselves and their dependents without having to rely on welfare, food stamps, public housing or other assistance.
At FIT we assist each client individually to break the cycle of dependency through guidance, mentoring, resources and support for education, training and employment assistance. FIT's holistic approach gives people the tools with which to be able to support themselves. FIT helps individuals and families regain their dignity, self-respect and independence.
FIT's work is particularly important at this time. As our country struggles through a serious economic recession, our services are in increasing demand. Through the generosity of grants and support from donors, FIT is able to meet the growing need of our community by advancing people into long term, self-sufficient employment. FIT clients gain Better Jobs. Brighter Futures.
CLIENT STORIES:
The following two stories are examples of how FIT's flexible program can meet the individual needs of our clients.
Daniel has worked in the warehouse/moving/storage industry for the last fifteen years. He was with his most recent employer for over five years. Unfortunately, his loyalty and dedication to his job did not matter when the cut backs came and, like so many others, Daniel's hours were cut until he was finally completely laid-off.
Daniel applied to FIT for assistance after months of job searching on his own with no luck. By this point Daniel's situation was acute, he was almost homeless. He was immediately referred to a FIT Case Manager to assess Daniel's barriers to employment. It was determined that Daniel definitely needed assistance with his resume and would also benefit from job search and interviewing classes.
Armed with new skills and a professional resume, Daniel resumed his job search. FIT also assisted Daniel with a bus pass to go to his interviews. This time Daniel met with success and is now working in the warehouse for one of the world's largest online shopping sites.
The workplace readiness skill attainment Daniel received, and the transportation to get him to the interview and to work for the first two weeks, propelled Daniel into a "Better Job. Brighter Future."
Marita is a 43-year-old recently divorced mother of two sons, ages 8 and 12. For the last two years, Marita has been staying at home to care for her younger son who has been diagnosed with developmental delay with autistic tendencies. Before that, she had worked continuously first as a guest room attendant at a hotel and then at a school as a front desk receptionist.
The time Marita spent providing intensive social skills training to her son brought him remarkable improvement to the point that she was able to look for a permanent, stable career. However, with a high school diploma and no further education, Marita was unable to find any job. During this difficult time, her marriage fell apart and her husband left her.
Desperate and with no support, Marita heard of and applied to FIT. With the help of her Case Manager, Marita researched potential training programs and completed aptitude, ability and interest testing. This led her to designate the goal of becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Marita's Case Manager identified a collaborative agency that would be able to contribute a portion of Marita's tuition to attend the College of Southern Nevada and FIT paid the rest. FIT paid for her CNA application, certification exam fees, books, uniforms and a school drug screen as well.
Upon her graduation, Marita got a job in a nursing care facility. She plans to continue her education to eventually transition into higher paying nursing jobs. Marita is now on track to the permanent career she has always wanted. She can now provide stability for her children.
"FIT has really helped me get my life together. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping someone like me who was having a hard time finding work, and now I have more job offers than I know what to do with. God Bless You!"
- FIT Graduate
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