SEMCA Celebration of Success

In October 1996, Richard Knowles was diagnosed with throat cancer. Because of his illness he was eligible for social security disability. Following his surgery in December 1997, he began receiving this assistance. For a lot of people in our society, this disability money would have been acceptable as an income, but Richard wanted to work. He knew that he had more to offer the world.	Richard with his wife, Christine, and daughter Alesha.
Richard kept working at his part time job at an auto parts store. Then the store closed in April 1998. He had a sporadic work history in recent years and this can be a red flag for some employers when they are interviewing candidates. He then found a delivery position with Pizza Hut. Richard thought that he could find more challenging work. He was interested in truck driving, so he sought an agency for possible truck driving training. He was referred to our Monroe Service Center.	Richard’s MRS case worker, Mary Barber.
Michigan Rehabilitation Center and Michigan Works decided to sponsor Richard for CDL Truck Driving School. Training costs were split by Michigan Works and Michigan Rehabilitation Center. Richard studied hard, and completed his training in February 1999. Richard’s instructors stated that he was “always here and never late.”	Richard with Monroe County Employment and Training’s Jerry Spence.
Richard was referred to a local fence company for employment after his training. Unfortunately, he was temporarily laid off in December 1999. Richard was once again unemployed. Richard filed for unemployment and began to seek a job closer to his home.	Richard on the job at Peak Transportation.
In March, 2000 Richard accepted a job at Peak Transportation. This job is close to home and utilizes his truck driving training! As of December, 2000, Richard continues to work at Peak Transportation 50-60 hours per week. He is home every evening with his family. His new job as made it possible for them to purchase their new home in Lambertville, MI.	Richard with his supervisor, Alan Wolfe.