Kimberly: Where Hope Took the Wheel
For years, Kimberly felt like she was doing everything she could just to survive.
As a mother of three, she carried the weight of financial hardship, housing instability, and the constant stress of trying to provide for her children while working jobs that never paid enough to truly move forward. No matter how hard she tried, it felt like she was stuck. “I was stuck applying for jobs with low pay when I have three kids to care for. Even $15 an hour doesn’t make enough to qualify for anything to move out of my mom’s home.”
Behind the exhaustion was a dream she had carried for a long time: earning her CDL and building a career that could finally give her family stability. But like so many parents’ facing hardship, the cost of training and lack of support made that dream feel impossible.
Then an opportunity came through the Hardesty Workforce Program at The Salvation Army, “Once Julia told me I could go, it was an incredible feeling.” For Kimberly, that moment meant more than being accepted into a program. It meant someone believed in her future.
Although excited, Kimberly still carried fears into the program. As a smaller woman entering a male-dominated industry, she questioned whether she could succeed. She also faced difficult challenges at home and ongoing financial pressure while trying to provide for her children. Still, she refused to give up.
At MTC Truck Driving School, Kimberly pushed herself every day through classroom learning, yard training, driving practice, and testing preparation. Even when large class sizes and personal obstacles made the journey harder, she remained focused on the bigger picture: creating stability for her family.
Then, during training, another unexpected setback hit. Kimberly developed severe complications from impacted wisdom teeth, causing significant swelling and requiring emergency dental treatment and recovery time. Missing class could have derailed her momentum, but with support from instructors, she quickly got back on track. “I just kept going. The end result was worth it. I had an opportunity not everyone gets.”
Every difficult day, every obstacle, every early morning came back to one thing: “my children.” Kimberly pushed through training, determined to create a different future for them—a future where she could finally breathe, finally provide, and finally stand on her own.
When testing day finally arrived, Kimberly completed her drive and backed the trailer into the DMV lot while anxiously listening to the examiner review areas she could improve on. At first, the reality had not fully sunk in. Then she realized something life-changing: She had passed. “For whatever reason, it took me a few minutes to realize I had actually passed.”
Now, Kimberly proudly holds her CDL credential and is already applying for higher-paying positions that were once completely out of reach. For the first time, she sees the possibility of true financial independence, career stability, and a future where she and her children can move into a home of their own. “Without the funding, I’d still be stuck applying for jobs that would hardly cover the basic costs while trying to raise my children.”
But perhaps the greatest transformation has been internal. “Without this funding, I’d never know what I was truly capable of.”
When asked to describe the opportunity in just two words, Kimberly answered simply: “Life changing.”
Her journey is a powerful reminder that sometimes the greatest barrier is not ability—it is access. With support, determination, and opportunity, Kimberly transformed hardship into hope and is now building a future that once felt impossible. Kimberly’s story is not just about earning a CDL. It is about a mother refusing to give up. It is about healing, perseverance, and discovering strength she always had inside her. Most of all, it is proof that when someone is given opportunity and support, hope can grow where hopelessness once lived.
OUTCOME:
Kimberly successfully completed CDL training and earned her CDL credential, opening the door to higher-paying career opportunities, financial independence, and long-term stability for herself and her three children.