Unemployment is one of the most devastating burdens of the 21st century. Nowadays, over 6.5 million people in the United States cannot find a job, which means a life on the verge of poverty or worse, a complete lack of opportunities, a high risk of depression and anxiety, and constant fear of ending up on the street. This problem is particularly widespread and acute among single parents whose inevitably hectic schedules and responsibilities towards little children get in the way of securing a stable job, even in case if their professional skills are in demand in the employment market.
The effect can be catastrophic. A single parent who is in despair, deprived of support, and dreading the future can feel forced to take irreparable actions, such as giving up parental responsibilities, abandoning a child, or even considering suicide. The consequences of this on a child’s psyche can also be grave and irreversible. What’s more, the spread of long-term unemployment and mental illnesses coupled with drug dependency results in a dramatic increase in homelessness across the US, which can’t fail to have a destructive effect on the economy, social welfare, and level of safety on the streets.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic, which has made the already disturbing unemployment situation even worse, has brightly demonstrated that action is required as soon as possible. However, what can the solution to such a serious, complicated, and multi-faceted problem be? Is there a way out of unemployment hell circles for a single mother of three? How to prevent such tragic events as placing infants at orphanages to keep them fed, developing hard drug addiction from depression, and ending up on the streets? Is there a chance to give these millions of people hope for a better future?
According to Mariana Schildt, the answer is yes. Having an extensive background in labor law, a creative entrepreneurial spirit, and a deep passion for helping others, Mariana is finding a unique solution to the exponentially progressing consequences of single parents’ struggle with finding a place of employment: the Comprehensive Support Centre. The one that will provide the top-quality, multi-faceted assistance, support, and practical solutions for the challenges that unemployed single parents face in the US.
The special individualized approach of Schildt’s Comprehensive Support Centre takes into account each unique story, distinct challenges, and specific needs of every single person seeking help. The way Mariana designed the center’s organization is especially aimed at covering all issues that an unemployed single mom or dad has to face while balancing between parental responsibilities and the burden of constant employment search, along with financial struggles and insecurity about the future that they entail. Besides the comprehensive job-seeking assistance, Schildt’s Support Centre also provides both legal and financial counseling services, matching with temporary housing solutions, and psychological support.
The uniqueness of Mariana’s initiative lies in its all-encompassing nature. According to Ms. Schildt, “A multi-layered problem requires a multi-layered solution”. It is not enough to just advise an unemployed single parent struggling to make ends meet on job-hunting strategies, or just give financial recommendations, or just provide psychiatric services: neither will solve the situation on its own. It takes a wisely composed combination of relevant professional services to truly make a change, drug a despaired individual out of the dark and daunting life stage, and give a real chance to overcome all obstacles on the way to reestablishing stability, improving the quality of life, and regaining the sense of self-esteem, self-belief, and hope.
The legal support team experienced in diverse subtleties of labor law helps the unemployed to understand their rights, become aware of potential legal solutions, and get at least basic knowledge of the right contract negotiation strategies and actions that should be taken in case of unfair dismissal, discrimination, or workplace harassment. Governmental agencies, housing organizations, and local landlords partnering with Schield’s support center help to provide temporary housing options, referrals to low-income housing programs, and professional support in search of stable, affordable, and safe housing solutions.
A team of experienced psychologists and social workers helps to deal with stress, depression, and anxiety by providing both individual and group therapy, family counseling, and stress management techniques. Strategic partnerships with local businesses, employment organizations, and professional networks offer training and career guidance, as well as facilitate the connection of the unemployed to suitable workplaces. Altogether, Mariana’s Center does everything required to help a single parent to both secure a stable job and survive the transition period having the best conditions and support possible, and thus, find the healthiest way to get back to normal life and build a future full of hope and opportunities.
Mariana has started her illustrious journey from her attorney practice in Brazil. Having been inspired by her aunt, who is also a lawyer specializing in labor legislation, as well as her mother, who has always actively participated in social projects directed at helping the most vulnerable social groups, Mariana has had two childhood dreams: to become the best labor law attorney in town and to be able to use her professional skills to help those in need. The journey has been thorny and full of obstacles, as Mariana’s parents have been financially struggling ever since she can remember, and they could not afford to provide her with the same opportunities that other children had.
However, according to Mariana’s favorite life quite that she once heard from her first employer, “If you can dream it, you can do it!”. This saying still keeps inspiring her to pursue her dreams even when they seem unreachable, and eventually making them come true. During her years as a labor lawyer, Mariana has successfully defended thousands of workers fighting for their rights in court. Her brightest memory of significant victory is winning the case of Brazilian railway workers and thus, unlocking processes that have been paralyzed for over 30 years!
Mariana has been quickly moving up the career ladder, taking more and more senior positions, and finally, supervising a team of ten lawyers, managing the entire legal office, and leading the whole labor rights protection sector in town. What’s more, while passionately defending her clients in court, she has always managed to find time to help her junior colleagues achieve their aspirations and turn them into remarkable lawyers themselves. “Study hard and never stop learning and improving to become the best expert in the field that gives you passion and warms your heart”, Mariana often tells young attorneys in her supervision.
However, Mariana’s terrific success as an attorney did not seem enough to her, for she has always dreamed of doing something bigger, and creating something capable of helping more people at once. That’s how the idea of the Schildt Comprehensive Support Centre first came to her mind. Having these years of profound experience as a lawyer, managing supervisor, and leader, as well as a deep knowledge of every detail related to the struggles that unemployed people face obtained from communication with her clients, Mariana decided to build an organization that would become a safe haven for everyone in need.
Driven by the passion to help people in finding permanent solutions, and mitigating their struggles on the way, she has spent dozens of sleepless nights designing a plan for a center that would help with every pain an unemployed single parent suffers from, and offer relief to everyone in need. The result has exceeded all expectations. Schildt Comprehensive Support Centre has become a long-awaited solution to one of the most serious and daunting problems of today’s society, the one that is capable of fighting unemployment, decreasing homelessness, drug addiction, and development of mental issues, as well as helping all unemployed single parents in the US to defend their right to hope.