Today we’d like to introduce you to Traletta Banks.
Hi Traletta, I am so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story? How did you get to where you are today?
2001, I moved to North Carolina with my 10-month-old son, made some bad decisions, and was arrested. 2005, I was convicted of Obtaining Property by False Pretenses, and it changed my son’s life forever. I lost my job and was unemployed for over 4 years until I was hired at a plasma donation center, where I stayed for over 5 years. I decided to return to school after realizing my job had tuition reimbursement. I used that resource to get through school through my internship because I had to break down to part-time to fulfill my obligations to graduate. I graduated in May 2016 and was hired through my internship. I worked at a local non-profit that served individuals with criminal records, helping them find employment and other resources. Outside the job, I started collecting clothing for individuals returning to the community after incarceration. That turned into my non-profit, Erika’s Closet (2018). I worked two jobs to self-fund the organization and, until 2020, received the Jumpstart Grant from The City of Charlotte, and that’s just what it did: Jumpstarted our job coaching program! I also recently built a Second Chance Direct Hiring Staffing Agency; Erika’s Closet gets the people ready while the staffing agency gets them placed.
Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has not been a smooth road! Being a single mother with now two children, having a criminal record, and having to navigate the systems of resources in Charlotte, NC, with little to no support kept me unemployed for over 4 years, which caused my children to be in poverty for years unable to access things such as good schools, transportation, housing, and employment which caused severe behavior issues in my son’s life.
As you know, we’re big fans of Erika’s Closet/ Another Level Staffing LLC. For our readers who might need to become more familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
Erika’s Closet: This grassroots organization provides botos-on-the-ground workforce development services for formerly incarcerated individuals. We provide:
- Resume assistance
- One-on-one job coaching
- Application assistance
- Connections with employers who show consideration to hiring our people
I am proud because our organization has come a long way since 2018 by being self-funded. Most organizations would’ve given up by now, but we didn’t!
Another Level Staffing LLC:
We are a second chance direct hire staffing agency that provides services and employment placement for people with criminal backgrounds. I created this agency as a space for our people returning to the community after incarceration. Even though this agency isn’t working as designed, we provide training and development for other community organizations that need more themselves. This revenue supports us in keeping Erika’s Closet alive and sustainable.
What do you think about happiness?
What makes me happy is seeing people free! I see people conquering their goals that they thought they never could because of their background! It creates a sense of accomplishment for the jobseeker and their family! It helps them to succeed as a family unit and generate access and upward mobility.
Contact Info:
- Website: erikas-closet.org
- Instagram: erikasclosetnc
- Facebook: erikasclosetnc
- Linkedin: Erika’s Closet
Image Credits
The one with me in the white shirt with the city in the background credit goes to: Tracy Watts
