Court order made me believe in myself

Anne-Marie’s story
About four years ago I was placed on a community corrections order.
I was assigned to the Stir the Pot Program, which was a structured learning environment that enabled women offenders to work together as a team while improving their numeracy and literacy skills and together creating a recipe book for the charity organisation Cancer in Kids Auxiliary (CIKA) to whom all proceeds were donated.
During this program we attended Fitted for Work which provided suitable clothing and included a make-up class for the ladies to prepare for their presentation at the launch of the recipe book.
This program encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and reflect on my achievements, the major one being able to speak publicly to a large group of people.
While it was nerve-wracking for me I gained the confidence to do this and it also gave me a new-found sense of “I can” and increased my self-esteem on a personal level, through believing in my own abilities.
Following Stir the Pot, with the encouragement of my trainer Robyn, I signed up to volunteer with a neighbourhood house which was a way to increase my skills, hopefully leading to employment.
I have volunteered as part of the neighbourhood house’s refugee and asylum seekers community lunch program, assisting the chef to prepare lunch for between 40 to 70 people twice a week for 18 months.
During this time I learnt an understanding of our multicultural and diverse community, developed a good and strong work ethic and established new social networks.
During the end of my community corrections order I joined a creative program with the neighbourhood house and became in touch with my creative side as initially I assumed I had no creativity.
With the assistance of my trainer I discovered a way to bring that out in my work, further increasing my self-belief, allowing me to further recognise my abilities.
Upon completion of my order I volunteered with this program for a further six months.
With the loss of the trainer I was then offered work as a trainer by the manager, I undertook an introduction to training program where I learnt about adult, community and further education board and the delivery of training.
During my employment in this area I have been able to improve my confidence both within my personal and working life.
I have been able to feel a sense of direction with a clear focus on providing a better life for my children and family.
A clear sense of direction has given me the determination to achieve and aim for goals that I never thought would be on offer for me.
Through another believing in me and offering me the opportunity to acquire new skills, I was able to grow and develop, offering me a chance to succeed in now a more rewarding and fulfilling future.
I now have a new-found confidence and belief in myself, enabling me to openly express my journey, encouraging others that they too can achieve great things.