Meet Laury
In October of 2004 Laury suffered a traumatic brain injury, leaving her in a medically-induced coma. When she regained consciousness a few months later, she had a long road ahead of her. The road began with having to learn how to walk and talk again. Laury now reflects on her recovery process with openness and humbleness. She believes that her stubbornness helped her through her recovery; she is grateful for her second chance.
After her accident Laury moved to Decatur, Illinois to be near family and was quickly referred to MRI. When she was ready to return to work in 2006, MRI’s Community Employment Services and Laury’s own “stubbornness” helped her reach her goals. The Community Employment Specialists at MRI helped Laury through vocational interest and capabilities assessments. In the weekly job training sessions at MRI, Laury quickly demonstrated her dependability, ability to follow through and readiness for employment. Laury was placed in a kitchen staff position at St. Mary’s Hospital, where she worked from 2006-2013. This position allowed Laury to have support in her first job after her brain injury, with 3 others from MRI and a job coach on-site.
“When I came to Macon Resources, it was a godsend. They help you as much as they possibly can. MRI gives you all the resources, and you do the footwork.”
When Laury’s kitchen helper position at St. Mary’s was eliminated due to budget cuts, Laury came back to MRI again for help. This time, with years of solid employment under her belt, she needed less support. She got assistance again from Community Employment Specialists to apply for jobs independently. They helped her with job applications, interview preparation and job seeking.
Laury now works for Sodexo Magic at ADM corporate headquarters. After taking career interest assessments at MRI, Laury knows she is in the right field as a kitchen helper; she takes great pride in the work she does.
“I’m the type of person who doesn’t like to sit around much,” Laury explains. “I love working in a kitchen. It keeps my mind busy and makes time go fast.”
In addition to working, Laury enjoys reading books on her Kindle and travelling with her mother. She recently moved out of government-subsidized housing and now rents her own home with the money she makes with her job at Sodexo/Magic. Laury has just purchased her first car since her accident 11 years ago. She speaks with pride on the new house she is able to pay for herself and the work she wants to do with her car.
To learn more about MRI’s Community Employment Services and Eligibility Criteria, click here.
