Watch Ruth's video

Overview

I need an eye exam and new glasses to help me in my employment. Because my glasses are very old, they do not help with my astigmatism and other eye problems very much at all anymore. I have recently been rejected from jobs at Walgreens and Wal-Mart after failing their math tests. With my poor vision, it takes me too long to figure out how to properly give change to a customer.

Meeting this need will help me because both Walgreens and Wal-Mart have promised to let me take the exam again after I get new glasses. The people at Speak Up have also promised to help practice my math skills, so I can become a cashier! With the new glasses, I can get around town much easier, and I can confidently take my cashier tests and pass them this time around.

My goal is to get a job and get out of transitional housing, so my church doesn't have to pay for me to have a house, and I can help them help other people.

Working at Speak Up has given me the time management skills and personal responsibility I need to succeed in a job. I want to save up money from a full-time or part-time job so that I can get a house of my own. Myself and my belongings will be much safer in a house of my own. These new glasses would help with finishing the application process and finally finding an hourly job.

I will still help Speak Up Magazine too and train the new vendors for Speak Up.

Right now, my biggest challenge is my eyesight. I cannot get an entry-level job with my vision problems, and it is difficult for me to get around. I have been selling a magazine in Charlotte by the name of Speak Up Magazine, so that I can make money for necessities. They treat me very well there, and encourage me on my way to full-time employment.

I need an eye exam and new glasses to help in the employment application process. This includes an eye exam with the Visionworks eye center, a new prescription for my eyes, and a new pair of glasses.

I think of myself mostly as a mother and friend. My daughter was taken from me by Social Services when I was 20. She is now in high school, and I have some contact with her and my sisters. I want to make them proud of me and be able to bring them over to my new home after I get a job.

I'm most proud of my daughter, Sarah. She's 24, and she's very busy with her job and she means the world to me.

I've worked as a Speak Up Magazine vendor, at Carowinds, TJ Max, Food Lion, Eckerd's, a medical center, as a waitress, a receptionist, an interpreter, and a Salvation Army bell ringer.

Something interesting about me is I am originally from Taipei, Taiwan.

I am currently living in a transitional house here in Charlotte called "My Sister's Place." Life is sometimes hard there, but I am grateful to have a roof over my head. I have been diagnosed with mental illness so many tasks are difficult for me. I am estranged from my family and even the ones I am still in contact with are very busy and struggle with money themselves, so I do not feel comfortable asking them for help.

Watch Matt's video

Validated

Validated by Matt from Speak Up Magazine (What does this mean?)

I have known Ruth since February of 2012. She first came to us seeking to become a vendor here. She was very quiet at first but has come out of her shell over the past year and a half. She's become one of the most consistent vendors for Speak Up and is a major part of our family now.

I think meeting this need is important because Ruth is in a great place as far as employment goes. She is getting interviews, finishing applications, and has a roof over her head. Her head is in the right place and so is her heart. She's a very, very hard worker and has completely honed her people skills while selling magazines. She is just one or two boundaries away from getting into her own home and finding stability. A new pair of glasses is one of those boundaries.

This will move the recipient's life forward by allowing her to pass the math exams/tests that most cashier jobs require her to complete (she has already failed two of them because of vision issues). We will help her with the math part of things, but we cannot do anything about her eyesight. So, the hope is, once she gets her new glasses and receives a bit of "cashier tutoring," Ruth will be able to retake those exams again and find employment.

About Matt

I am the Executive Director of Speak Up Magazine, and have been since June 2009. I oversee the development of a "street magazine" that gives a voice to people on the streets, and coordinate the homeless vendor program, in which homeless individuals sell the magazine and earn money. I also… Read more