After growing up in a military family that included a stint in Germany, Johanna landed in Tennessee, where she graduated from high school, and got married. Over the several years, she gave birth to two daughters, but also began taking drugs. In the aftermath of a $400 drug binge, Johanna found herself standing in front of a bathroom mirror fogged up by the shower she’d just taken. When she rubbed the condensation off so she could see herself, what she saw over her shoulder sent a shiver up her spine: her eight-year-old daughter was staring at her, but not knowing who she was. This proved to be the moment that turned Johanna’s life around.
She immediately phoned her aunt and told her “I am a drug addict. I need help.” Her aunt helped facilitate Johanna’s move up to Michigan. After she got clean, which she thought would end her health challenges, she continued to struggle to hold a job. She visited a doctor who, after a thorough examination, the doctor told her she had asthma, and well as other factors that added up to her having a disability, albeit of the “invisible” sort. This information gave Johanna a sort of the peace-of-mind to gain the confidence necessary to seek employment that would not only pay the bills but bring fulfillment.
Her aunt moved her up to Michigan, where she found work at Firekeepers Casino for seven years. However, she suffered what she called a psychotic break and was let go, as the options her employer offered for continued employment were not acceptable. She found herself unemployed and homeless, with a desire to find meaningful employment.
Going back several generations, the men in her family had served in the military and the women had had jobs that supported the military. Thus, it was natural that Johanna longed to serve in some capacity, but due to some medical conditions, she was not allowed to enlist. When she heard about an opportunity to work at Peckham serving the Department of Defense, she applied and was delighted to accept a position at a Peckham call center.
“All of a sudden,” Johanna recalled, “I walk into a place where I have so much support. It was like walking into a place that I belonged.”
Johanna explained that her job consists of placing orders for the military or vendors in need of a wide variety of products: parts for ships, parts for airplanes, Ready-to-eat meals, clothing… “you name it, we order it,” she said. She called Peckham’s call center the “lifeblood for a warfighter.”
Johanna currently serves as a mentor to newer call center agents, and talked about plans for career growth, including moving into a team leader position, and perhaps becoming a supervisor down the road. She made a point to thank her Vocational Services Specialist, her supervisors and fellow team members, who have provided support along the way.
Johanna said every day she comes to work, she thinks to herself, “I love going to work. I know I belong and that I’m going to get the help that I need.” Part of that help has come from Peckham’s educational resources, which have made it possible for Johanna to take classes that help her build her resume, typing and management classes, and many more.
Johanna has gone from fearing that someone would find out about her mental health issues to having a support system that’s empowered her to succeed. Today, with grown children starting successful careers of their own, Johanna finds herself in a place unimaginable to her just a few years ago.
