Shirley
Shirley Evans was in her late 50s, evicted and stranded without a home for the first time in her life. For three years she bounced between shelters, battling rats outside the door and, worst of all, losing custody of her granddaughter, who she had raised from three months old.
Then one day at the Downtown Women’s Center she discovered an opportunity she had never imagined for herself: working with wood. “This is not a thing women usually do,” she said.
Shirley took a chance, and discovered a passion for sanding and building: “I love it so much.” Not only that, she earned money that helped her pay for her cell phone bill, storage space, and eventually for rent. Out of the shelter, she was able to get her granddaughter back. “Happiest day of my life,” Shirley said.
When WouldWorks reopened after temporarily shutting down due to the pandemic, Shirley returned, with a promotion to Lead Artisan and a raise. “I love this job,” she said on a recent morning at the shop. “I think I would do this if I didn’t get paid.” But the pay has also been transformational. “Now I’m working on getting myself a car,” she said. “I’ve been saving and I’m getting close.”
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Also in Our Artisans
Tim
Taaj
Meet Our Young Makers
Meet Taaj, Tim and Quinn – Three of our Artisans in Would Works’ Young Makers Program.
The Young Makers Program provides youth the opportunity to learn the beginning fundamentals of woodworking. At WW they learn to fabricate kitchen products and furniture all the while gaining experience using tools and machines in the wood shop that will prepare them for jobs when they graduate from our program.
