Sister Table Talk Blog

Have you ever spoken to a person that knows everything they don’t want, but can’t articulate what they do want? If we don’t know what we want to do with our lives, others or life circumstances will mold our lives for us. And, the same can apply to our careers. As a result of today's economy, many people are not seeking a career; they’re looking for a JOB - (JUST OVER BROKE). A JOB can help you get by, a career will help you live! Here are a few suggestions to jump start your career. Pray and Ask for Divine Guidance – Everything we do should bring glory and honor to God. And, this also applies to our career choices. God does not want us to work to simply meet our financial needs and wants. Ultimately, our vocation should be our ministry (i.e., what we’ve been gifted to do). Redefine Your Identity – Many people have defined their self-worth based on what they do and not who they really are. Take time to learn your true self and take this authenticity to your new career. S...

Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech. - Isaiah 32:9 Over the past month, Virtuous Enterprises, Inc. (VEINC) has received phone inquiries about our services from women with similar connotations: Nobody told me where to go to get resources to help me Nobody told me where I could get training to get a better job. Nobody will hire me because I don't have the right looks. I can't participate in online training because I'm illiterate and too old. I learn better when someone shows me how to do something instead of me learning on my own. You're the expert, you should be able to tell me the type of job I should look for. I need a job, does your company help people get jobs? Do you see the commonality? These women have placed the responsibility of their lives on the shoulders of others. As a result, VEINC is launching a Rise Up Ye Women Challenge to challenge us to take a stand to hold ourselves accountable for ou...

Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on me. (Isaiah 26:3) One of our clients has been without bipolar medication for months and has missed counseling sessions designed to help stabilize her mind and life because her monthly disability income exceeds her eligibility to receive medical and counseling assistance. Her inability to receive bipolar treatment is an impediment to her health, family, and prospective employers. Several studies show, African-American and Latino women experience a higher rate of depressive symptoms and psychological distress compared to white women due to a convergence of societal, biological, and socioeconomical factors. Some of the risk factors are: stress due to racial discrimination; health problems (e.g., hypertension and cardiovascular disease); educational attainment , single marital status , and being a working mother . Depression screening and prevention programs must take into account these and additional factors in order to be suc...

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. (Proverbs 23:7 - KJV) Members of VEINC have not read the Health Care Reform Bill ; however, the tone and comments made by Senator Graham has left some of us with the impression that Senator Graham's view of the bill will cost his State (South Carolina) 1 billion dollars to insure low-income Black people. What's your view on Senator Graham's comments and health care reform? Do you believe America needs health care reform? Do you believe health care reform will bankrupt America? Do you believe health care reform only benefits poor people? As far as Senator Graham's concern about tax-payer's dollars being used to pay for this health care reform, who has a job to pay taxes in this Great Recession ?

In 2006, VEINC donated "fully-loaded" Dell computers to eleven single mothers and one single student returning to school to complete their undergraduate or graduate degrees and online certification programs to advance their careers through our Computer Donation Initiative . This initiative was made possible after receiving a Capacity Building grant from the Washington Area Women's Foundation to establish a wireless network to share training resources with staff members, volunteers, and trainees. Recently, VEINC received updates from two donation recipients - Tracy Henry - a medical student in her final year at Georgetown University School of Medicine and Joetta Fluellyn - a single mother on how this initiative helped them achieve their educational goals. Tracy Henry shared: Prior to receiving the donated computer, she had to use computers at the school library which limited her access to computers and online study time. The donated computer allowed her to stu...

What's the big deal about single mothers, I was raised by one and I turned out okay! Were the words of a business leader running for a Prince George's County Council position. There are many successful leaders and great people that were raised by single parents. VEINC is not presenting single mothers as damsels in distress or victims of society. However, due to the increased percentage of households being led by single mothers not only in Prince George's County, Maryland, but within our Nation, it's a big deal when single women-headed households have in some regard become the normal family structure. According to Sociology for Families , single-parent families are normally female-headed and single women typically do not earn the same income as a single man; thus, there is a consequent economic struggle and burden not experienced in a single-father household. Single mothers often must work overtime shifts to compensate for the low salaries, thus taking time away from th...

Job Hunting is a full-time job, and it’s amazing how lackadaisical many individuals approach job search until their bills pill up or state benefits end - creating a ‘reactive’ job search strategy out of anxiety and fear instead of a ‘proactive’ job search strategy out of desire and contribution. Seeking employment out of fear and anxiety will resonate during a job interview of any prospective employer. And, following are some tips to prevent you from landing a career that’s a mismatch to your core values, skills, and abilities. Return to Your First Love If you’re unemployed and your life only consisted of work, maybe your unemployment is a time to re-evaluate your life to determine your true values and passion. We were not created to simply work to pay bills, we were created to utilize our gifts and talents to bring glory and honor to God. Discover your Skills and Aptitude Many people are working in careers that are a total mismatch to their skills and abilities, vocational interest...