A Client Story: Mary Ellen Gruber
A Client's Journey from Rural Alaska to an Urban "Village"
Meet Cook Inlet Housing Authority (CIHA) client turned employee Mary Ellen Gruber. Mary Ellen is a resident at CIHA's Strawberry Village Cottages in South Anchorage, and she was recently hired as the property's Building Coordinator – or on-site property manager.
Originally from Seldovia, Mary Ellen moved herself and her two elementary school age children to Anchorage in search of employment opportunities in the early 1990's when the fishing industry took a nose-dive and the cannery in Seldovia closed.
The transition to city life was difficult.
"I've done just about anything you can think of to make money: cleaning chimneys, cutting wood, working on boats, in the cannery, bartending… That's just the way of life in Seldovia; you do what you have to do to make money," Mary Ellen said. "When I first moved to Anchorage I was on welfare… I've always been a worker; not being able to work, to make money, was really hard… It affected my pride."
Mary Ellen entered a job training program through the State of Alaska, but as a person who'd generally been employed as a laborer, she felt really "out of her element." While she knew she needed the training and the daycare opportunities that were associated with the state program, Mary Ellen didn't like being unemployed so she went out and got a job.
Mary Ellen worked for years at NAPA Auto Parts, and she cleaned houses part-time on the side to make ends meet. She and her children were living in a small, three-bedroom apartment that rented for over $1,000 per month when she heard about Strawberry Village Cottages.
"The apartment we were living in was nice, but the kids were becoming teenagers and I could see they needed more space," Mary Ellen said. The three-bedroom, two-story cottage offered that space, and for about the same price she was paying for the apartment.
Mary Ellen says she loves living at Strawberry Village. She says the cottages are beautiful, and the development feels like a small community with lots of trees and not very much traffic. In fact, it's so nice that she had a hard time believing it was hers.
"It took me six months to unpack because I couldn't convince myself that I could really afford a place this nice," she said. "We've always lived in apartments; it's so nice to be in a house, that it takes time to realize it's really yours and that you deserve it.
Mary Ellen says that as a client of Cook Inlet Housing, the organization's staff really made her feel at home… "CIHA really is committed to helping people make positive changes in their lives," she said, "just like my grandparents always did for people in Seldovia."
Mary Ellen says that feeling of acceptance and family is even greater now that she's employed by the company.
"I didn't think I was qualified but Sarah (the previous building coordinator who now works at CIHA's elder campus in Muldoon) pushed me into applying… I walked out of the interview and I felt really good about myself. I felt like they listened to me, and they made me feel like what I had to say was important. Even if I hadn't been hired, the interview alone had a positive impact on me," Mary Ellen said. "Working for Cook Inlet Housing has been a great experience so far… I know there's always someone to help me if I need it."
Mary Ellen is a great example of the kinds of people who walk through the doors of Cook Inlet Housing Authority offices every day; she’s the reason we do what we do. Cook Inlet Housing Authority’s housing opportunities exist to empower people and build our community. Congratulations Mary Ellen, and welcome to the Cook Inlet Housing Authority family!