Meet Karol

"We don’t have to worry as much about how much we can spend or whether bills will be paid on time."

Karol Aponte, a mother of three living in Roxbury, was at a crossroads in her life. She was struggling with the financial strain of supporting her family on transitional assistance, which was affecting her mental health. Determined to create a better future for her family, she discovered HELP, Goodwill’s Human Services Employment Ladder Program, through the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance.

Karol had experience as a personal care attendant and working in human services appealed to her passion for helping people. It is also a field with
plentiful jobs, good wages and benefits, and advancement opportunities. She graduated from the HELP program and is now working as a residential counselor at Vinfen, providing care and companionship to seniors with disabilities.

The job has brought her greater financial independence and the ability to support her three children in ways that were previously out of reach. “My children are happier now,” she said. “We don’t have to worry as much about how much we can spend or whether bills will be paid on time.”