Determined to create a better future, Ashanti’s first step was searching for healthcare training and job opportunities in her area. This broad search led her to Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida’s Financial Opportunity Center® (FOC) – Steps 2 Success Program. Steps 2 Success gave her access to the critical guidance and resources she needed to pursue her dreams. She enrolled in August 2024, focused on taking control of her life. With support from her Workforce Deve

As a child, I remember going to volunteer at an orphanage with my school and family. I vividly remember the heat that started to build up in my chest, fired by the jealousy I felt by seeing my mom give another little girl love and attention. I remember thinking “that is what she calls me, not her” when I heard my mom tell her she looked like a beautiful princess and gave her a big hug. But I also remember the sinking feeling in my stomach when my mom realized my reaction, and

The moment Mellie walked into Steps 2 Success, she wasn’t looking for a handout — she was looking for a path forward. “I knew it was definitely an avenue for me to go into,” she recalled. A mother of three strong, successful daughters and a proud grandmother and great-grandmother, Mellie had spent her life caring for others. She worked sporadically as a CNA/HHA through a local staffing agency, contracted for private care assignments that came and went without warning. The wor