SNAP Program

Digital Inclusion Service

Meet Mandy

With raising three kids; one in Headstart, one in 4th grade and another in seventh, Mandy and her
boyfriend have their hands full. Mandy’s employment history included work in the hospitality sector as
a Housekeeper and then Assistant Manager for a local apartment complex. Her work history was steady
until Mandy developed an addiction that would eventually end her employment. Mandy did recover
and spent subsequent years as a housewife taking care of her home and raising their children.

A year ago, Mandy decided she wanted to go back to work and made the brave decision to obtain her
GED. By February of 2020, she had completed and passed the Language Arts test. Then Covid19 hit and
all schools closed leaving Mandy to care for her kids full time. Her GED would have to go on hold for the
time being.

Months went by until Mandy was coached by her DHS Navigator to pick up her coursework and finish
her GED. She was referred to the STEP program and received an assessment from her STEP coach at the
Oregon Employment Department. Together they discussed the Digital Inclusion Program and the
benefits Mandy would have by participating. In addition, they would go over her employment goals and
the barriers to those goals. With a laptop provided by the Digital Inclusion Program, Mandy will now be
able to search online job boards for employment opportunities. She will also be able to use this laptop
to continue her coursework towards obtaining her GED. The STEP program will pay for Mandy to take
her next two pre-tests; Social Studies and Math, which are scheduled for December 2020. Mandy hopes
to have completed her requirements and get her GED by March 2021.

While Mandy’s short term goals are to finish her GED and get a job to help out her household, she has
her heart set on her long term goal as a Peer Mentor working with people with addictions. It is her hope
to give back to the people of her community in their time of need.

Through a partnership with the Higher Education Coordinating Commission and Free Geek, OED’s SNAP program provides a digital inclusion service to eligible SNAP participants which allow them the opportunity to participate in skill
development and training, job search classes, networking opportunities, and more. Digital Inclusion Service includes a refurbished laptop, 12-months technical support, 12-month warranty, and digital literacy components from
Free Geek. Funding provided by the Oregon Department of Human Services, United States Department of Agriculture, the State of Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission, and the Oregon Employment Department.
USDA is an equal opportunity employer, provider, and lender.