Mae Shurow doesn't believe in luck, fate, coincidence, or random chance.

Mae said the Lord led her into her current career as a housing associate for Mountain Comprehensive Care Center in Paintsville after a sudden layoff ended the job she had held for 20 years. But first, she said He led her to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Dislocated Worker Program. The program paid for Mae's college education, which paved the way for her new career and an exciting future.

"I couldn't qualify for financial aid because of my income from when I worked the previous year," Mae said. "But the Dislocated Worker Program was able to help me regardless of my income, and it paid for all of my tuition, books and gas for two years."

When she began classes at the Prestonsburg Campus of Big Sandy Community and Technical College in May 2001, Mae made good on WIA's investment in her. She worked hard, earned a 4.0 grade point average each semester, and completed her associate's degree of applied science in human services in two years.

The curriculum for applied science in human services is similar to the social work curriculum, except that it got her into her "helping career" much quicker, Mae explained.

Today, Mae works on grants and secures funding that pays for critical home repairs and renovations that Mountain Comprehensive Care Center performs for low-income homeowners in five eastern Kentucky counties. In extreme cases, the agency will help build a new home in the place of an extremely substandard one with substantial problems. Mae is always working to ensure all paperwork is completed and all conditions are met to get the work done.

"I really wanted to get out and into a job where I could help people," she said. "It's rewarding, wonderful, and really a lot of fun."

Getting to be around people day after day was what Mae liked most about her longtime job at the Kroger supermarket in Paintsville, she said. Unfortunately, her 20 years of dedicated work did not keep her from losing her job when the company closed the store in April 2001.

With only a month's notice before that closing, Mae had little time to ponder what she was going to do next.

"We had the option of transferring to another store, but the closest one to here was in Ashland," Mae said. "Plus, if you relocate, you have to sell your home, buy a new one, and pay to move. That really wasn't an option for me."

In that time of great uncertainty, Mae leaned on her faith and things began to fall into place, she said.

First, all of the Kroger employees scheduled to lose their jobs were quickly contacted as part of a Rapid Response action by the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP) and other partner agencies in the JobSight workforce network. Through the Rapid Response action, Mae and her fellow employees learned about the services available to victims of a layoff, including the WIA Dislocated Worker Program and Unemployment Insurance.

Mae then visited the Paintsville offices of the Big Sandy Area Community Action Program to learn more about WIA. The program is administered by EKCEP and provided locally through the Big Sandy Area Community Action Program.

Mae said she already had been thinking about giving college a try. She was overjoyed when WIA Career Advisor Jennifer Anderson told her that the Dislocated Worker Program would allow her to do exactly that. The program would fully cover her tuition and textbook costs, and provide funding for college-related transportation and food expenses.

Because Mae wanted to train for a "helping career," Jennifer suggested she check into the new human services program at Big Sandy Community and Technical College. Mae said she believes it was no accident that program of study debuted the semester she was to enroll.

"Once again, that's the Lord working in my life," she said with a smile. "The WIA Program was there to provide the funds, and He made a way for me to do something where I could help people."

Though she hadn't been in a classroom since she graduated from high school in 1974, Mae proved to be an excellent student. She graduated in May 2003 and was anxious to find a job and get to work. It took nearly three months before Mae found out about the job she currently holds.

"I went to church with the woman who had my job before me," Mae said. "About two months after I graduated, she called me and told me she had gotten her master's degree and had taken a job with the state.

"I thought it was wonderful that she got a state job, but I didn't even consider trying for her old job because I wasn't qualified for it. You have to have a bachelor's degree for it," she added.

Despite not having the right degree, Mae decided to speak to Housing Director Judy Music. After their conversation, Judy encouraged her to apply for the job regardless. Impressed by Mae, Judy rewrote the official job description to allow an associate's degree holder to qualify for it. Mae applied, was offered the job, and accepted it immediately.

Mae has not looked back since. Before the Housing Department had finished its first complete home rebuilding project this summer, Mae and Judy already were busy planning a second such project and working on obtaining grant funding necessary to do at least seven more homes.

Along with those activities, Mae has begun looking toward the future. She has been taking some classes each semester toward a bachelor's degree in social work through Morehead State University's off-campus site in Prestonsburg. She expects to spend a few more years working toward that goal at a part-time pace.

Mae said she does not intend to leave Mountain Comprehensive Care Center once she earns her bachelor's degree. She would rather take things one small step at a time, and be thankful for what she has already achieved. Still, she cannot look back at those accomplishments without also being grateful for what allowed her to achieve them.

"I think the WIA is wonderful," she said. "I sing its praises every chance I get, because it was the avenue that the Lord opened up to me to get me where I am."