Rayna Trayanova

Turning Point is my heart.

When I emigrated to the United States, I had to get a job quickly. I’m a chef by training, but I wasn’t scared of any kind of work. I did housework in the city and then worked for a pharmaceutical company until it relocated and I was laid off.

A recruiter told me about a job at Turning Point and said, “Go on their website, see what they do, and let me know what you think.” I read everything about it and was sure this was my place. From day one, it’s been my second home.

I started as a receptionist. In my current job, I get to work behind the scenes doing everything I can to make sure our clients feel welcomed and our team has all the support they need. I feel good when I know that clients have gotten the help they need and are ready to go on with their lives.

A family that had emigrated from my home country came to us. The teenage son was having trouble adapting socially and at school. They were excited I could speak their language, and I helped them with the intake process. The young man got the help he needed, and the difference was like day and night.

The pandemic changed the Turning Point experience. We put our heads together and in less than two days, switched from seeing clients in person to serving them online or by phone. Thanks to a generous donation of some tablets from the Skokie Library, we were able to get our technology-challenged clients set up and connected quickly.