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RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES | 79

In Her Words: Tina Perez, Finds Career and Passion Serving Others

J ust four years ago, I was unemployed. My family was going through a rough time. Food was really expensive for me as a single mother of two. I applied for the CalFresh program. The program helped me feed my family and allowed me to focus on getting a job. I became an office assistant through the Temporary Assistance Program in Riverside County, where I worked two years

in Clerical. I formed great relations with my co-workers and learned a lot about the county and its services for people like me. I discovered my passion to help others was here in Riverside County. I was hired permanently as an office assistant III and eventually became the unit lead. Recently, I am proud to have been offered the opportunity to lead the Pending Unit as Office Support Supervisor.

Tina Perez, DPSS Office Support Supervisor

Financial Hardship Led Ashley Salmeron to Write a New Chapter for Her Family

S ome time ago my family and I found ourselves applying for CalWORKs because of a temporary financial hardship. We were nervous and uncertain when we attended the intake interview. But we were approved for CalWORKs benefits. I also enrolled in the Welfare-to-Work program, where I discovered several opportunities to prepare for and obtain gainful employment through DPSS. Shortly after, I started working for Riverside County’s Temporary Assistance Program as an Office

Assistant III for Riverside University Health System. I remained eligible for the CalWORKs program after my TAP hire, which helped stabilize my family financially. The application we submitted to CalWORKs in our moment of uncertainty and hardship resulted in my family and I overcoming an initial hardship and stepping into a new and successful life. I now work fulltime for RUHS Public Health. Recently, we were able to move into our new townhome and start a fresh chapter in our lives!

Ashley Salmeron, RUHS Public Health employee