Stephani “Amber” Arnette’s Story
My name is Stephani “Amber” Arnette; I’ve been called Amber since I was born. I’m 28 years old and I’ve lived in Ohio pretty much my entire life. I started working at HOPE Services November 30, 2009. Six years ago my life was changed forever by a patch of black ice and a tree. At least I lived through it, my mom was not so lucky. I was told I was paralyzed from the chest down. Not only did I lose my mom, who was my best friend, I lost the ability to walk and take care of myself. Trying to get me to do my physical therapy was just about impossible. I felt like my life was over. The hospital became my home for six months and I was scared to leave when it was time. I had the support of my family and friends but I just wanted to be left alone. I was wishing it was just a bad dream and waiting for a magical cure that would make me walk again. I’ve been a fighter my entire life and here I was letting something control me and hold me back. When I decided to fight back my life was not in the best place. That’s when HOPE Services stepped in and helped me out. They have been involved in my life since I came home from the hospital, but I did not use the resources they offered.
HOPE Services gave me a reason to get out of my house and start functioning again. They helped me pay off old bills and find a reasonably priced apartment to move into. They had me come into the office and do some job shadowing with a job coach. That helped me realize I was capable of doing a lot more than I was allowing myself to believe. Then, when they were looking for someone to do some data entry and filing, which is what I did when I was job shadowing, I interviewed for the job and luckily they hired me. The position they gave me has me working at the Napoleon office part-time. I worked with the same job coach for the first few weeks. She was there to help me learn the tasks that I would be doing. I work on the computer entering different kinds of information and there is always filing that needs to be done. If they need someone to fill in answering phones I help. It’s nice to be doing something that makes me feel useful and part of society again. There is no more worrying about money and my bills are paid on time. Now I can focus on moving forward with my life, getting my driver’s license and going back to school.
From the minute I started working with HOPE I felt comfortable being here. The atmosphere feels very calm and relaxed. I was accepted right from the get-go. Everybody that I have worked with has been extremely helpful. I’m independent and it’s hard for me to ask for help from others, but they are patient and kind so when I need help it doesn’t feel like I’m a burden. If I have any questions I’m not scared to ask someone because I know they will be more than willing to take the time to explain until I understand what I’m doing. Transportation is usually an issue for me since I do not drive but they provide a ride for me through the Henry County Transportation Network. Being around the people here and seeing all the good that they do makes me want to be a better person. There is always room for improvement and with the help that I get I believe I will be able to help others. I will be paying forward all the help and generosity that I received from everyone at HOPE.