Through the encouragement of his Cincinnati Works coach and a happy accident, Deamonta Williams found himself in a car with a man looking to fill a full-time position with good benefits.
Through months of diligence and the support of his family, Williams was ready to take advantage of his accidental fortune.
“This is how God works,” he said with a smile.
Williams has been a Cincinnati Works Member for 10 years, through a series of successes and struggles in his personal and professional lives. He re-engaged over the summer for financial coaching, as part of a larger commitment to his physical, mental and emotional health.
He has since met regularly with financial coach Charles McClinon to create a spending plan, build savings, and improve his credit. He also has participated in our Barbershop Talk series of events in the community.
In short, Williams has embodied our core principles of Member For Life and A Job is Just the Beginning.
“I love the environment here at Cincinnati Works,” he said. “I love the people. It’s very motivating. They make you feel like a family.”
He credited his wife, Morgan, with helping him through some difficult personal challenges in recent years and encouraging him to re-connect with Cincinnati Works. Over the past three years, he has overcome an addiction to painkillers, lost 40 pounds, and found a counselor he trusts. He has custody of two of his four children.
“I’ve got to have some type of stability,” Williams said. “My wife showed me that I had to change my thought process, change my patterns. I couldn’t keep doing the same stuff I was doing before. I want to see myself 10 years from now in a better situation.”
He returned to Cincinnati Works in June after nearly six years away. A month later, McClinon convinced him to attend a Black Achievers networking event together. Williams ended up at the wrong location, along with another man who also took a wrong turn on the way to the networking event.
The two men tracked down the correct address and rode together to the event. They talked about the jobs they had and the careers they wanted. The other man led a cleaning crew at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and had an opening on his team. Williams applied for the position, got the job, and now regularly works extra shifts to build the savings he has long sought.
“They love me, and I love it there,” he said. “The managers are respectful. If you work hard, you can elevate. They want you to elevate. I’m very observant, so I always observe my managers, what they are doing – and they are showing me what they do, teaching me new skills.”