TEXARKANA - Mission Texarkana and the local United Way typically graduate about 40 students per year from their Certified Nursing Assistant training program, but with the presence of COVID-19, they've only been able to graduate two classes during the past year.
The second class graduated earlier this month, with five students receiving free training to take the necessary state exams required to become CNAs.
The program is about 20 years old and is primarily funded by the United Way of Greater Texarkana and Mission Texarkana. They typically interview around 14 applicants a quarter and select applicants who could use the help, in order to provide local nursing homes and hospitals with prepared CNAs.
The course provided is a month long, and is taught by Liz Gunn - instructor and program director for the CNA program for about 20 years.
"The purpose of the class for the last 20 years has been to get people who are financially disadvantaged or educationally disadvantaged the chance to get a certificate, which improves their financial status and allows them to get a job to be able to take care of their family," said Mission Texarkana Executive Director Cody Howard.
Howard said this program is a way to get young people in the community on a professional path that lends them upward mobility.
"Yearly, we usually look to have 40 people certified and employed by the end of that year, who previously were dead-end jobs, such as convenient store clerks, janitors, things like that," he said. "These are things our society needs and things our city needs, but we want them to be upwardly mobile.
"This class has done really well. They all passed with flying colors. We had the graduation last week, and five raised their hands when I asked who all had jobs already."
He said many applicants come from challenging circumstances and just need an opportunity to show what they've got.
"During the interview process when we bring them in, oftentimes, that is a pretty sad process," Howard said. "Because we're listening to people's struggles throughout their whole lives - maybe with their education or finances or family situation - and they come in kind of depressed and disheartened by what's been going on in their lives. And to see them not only go in and do well in the class, but then just be inspired and encouraged, is just an incredible thing."
Oftentimes, the CNA program can just be a stepping stool for these people's careers.
"Once they reach that point of realizing their ability and that they are more than capable, they continue on that path of upward mobility," Howard said. "They don't stop at CNA, most of the time."
(To learn more visit missiontexarkana.org online.)