Announcement
Tantine working on GE industrial tool bags
When Tantine Mukokia arrived for her interview at Lone Star Canvas, she walked in the front door of a large warehouse looming before her. Along her side was 探花精选 Employment Specialist, Julia Montoya.
As soon as she walked through the door, Mukokia sought out a sewing machine, sat down, and started sewing. 鈥淚 was so scared!鈥 remarked Montoya, 鈥渟he just sat down at the machine and took off sewing!鈥 but Mukokia was brave. Allena Chapman at Lone Star Canvas smiled at Montoya, and asked when Mukoika could start, she was hired on the spot.
Mukokia spent 7 years working as a seamstress in war-torn Congo before being resettled by the 探花精选 in Abilene at the end of 2017. She has been working full time at Lone Star Canvas since January sewing industrial tool bags for General Electric who contracts this work to Lone Star Canvas. Chapman reached out to the 探花精选 in September of 2017 Abilene asking if we had any experienced seamstresses. Tantine was the perfect fit.
Lone Star Canvas has been in Abilene since 2004, under a different name, ABC Tent and Party Rental. In 2011 it became Lone Star Canvas. In 2016, owner Ted Evans opened Lone Star Dry Goods, a trendy 鈥淢an Store鈥 in Downtown Abilene, boasting manly products, unique gear, and an instore barber. Leadership at Lone Star Canvas has embraced Abilene鈥檚 frontier narrative by first being a local small business, expanding to the ever-growing downtown area, and now by hiring refugees.
鈥淪he just shows up and gets to work鈥 owner Ted Evans stated, 鈥渙ne of our largest challenges with our employees is keeping them off of their cell phones. Tantine doesn鈥檛 do that.鈥
鈥淭antine helps to bring everyone together鈥 he continued, 鈥淲hile she doesn鈥檛 speak English, we鈥檝e gotten to see our other employees step up and help her communicate by using translation apps on their phones. She鈥檚 created more initiative in the warehouse by being who she is.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a great experience for us working with Tantine. We鈥檙e ready for you to send us more refugees like her!鈥
Hard at work in the warehouse.
If you are a local business owner and are interested in hiring refugees to boost morale and work ethic around your business, reach out to the 探花精选 in Abilene by calling our office at 325-675-5643 or by emailing Kendra.Paris@Rescue.org.