When Pearl first heard about Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC), it wasn’t through a flyer or a website, it was a personal visit. “Somebody came from over there to my job,” she recalls. At the time, Pearl was working at Boye Needle Company near Montrose and Ravenswood. Back in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s, Pearl and a few coworkers attended a computer introduction class at JARC.
“We had Microsoft Word Core 2000, Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel, JARC showed us how to do a lot of stuff.” When her job later moved operations to Massachusetts, Pearl relocated temporarily. But when she returned to Chicago in 2003, she found JARC still standing and still teaching. She didn’t hesitate to dive back in.
”JARC is the best place to go, and it’s free. You can learn for free.
PearlJARC Chicago, CNC Graduate
In 2003, Pearl enrolled in JARC’s Computer Numerical Control (CNC) program. Her passion for learning didn’t stop there, she went on to take additional classes in Access, Internet and Outlook, as well as intermediate Word and Excel by 2007. “They had a good graduation for us,” she recalled. “They gave us those little papers and everything. It was nice. I loved it.”
Though she’s now retired, the skills Pearl gained at JARC opened doors for her throughout her career. She held roles in warehouses, assembly lines, and CNC jobs, and even landed a position at Walgreens. “I wasn’t qualified with the computer before,” she said, “but it helped me with the machines they had”. Before long, Pearl found herself training others. “I was like, wow, I’m training people!”
In 2025, she entered the organization’s T-shirt design contest and won. Her entry captured the full scope of JARC’s impact.
“I tried to put everything that I knew that JARC did. My niece helped me put the design on the shirt. I was looking at pictures of people working on computers and machines, it was so helpful.”
When asked to sum up what JARC has meant to her, Pearl doesn’t hesitate: “JARC is the best place to go, and it’s free. You can learn for free.” She continues to advocate for young people to take advantage of the opportunity: “I tell them to go, especially young people. If they’re looking for a job, it helps.”
Pearl’s story is one of resilience, creativity, and the power of accessible education. From mastering CNC machines to designing winning T-shirts, she exemplifies the spirit of lifelong learning that JARC fosters in every trainee who walks through its doors.
Want to support our mission and get a great T-shirt? Click here to purchase a Pearl T-shirt!
Every shirt sold helps us provide free training and wraparound support services for people like Grace, ensuring that hardworking individuals don’t have to live in poverty.
This initiative is proudly organized by JARC’s Associate Board.
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