1500 North Second Street
Suite 11
Harrisburg, PA 17102

Phone: (717) 234-6616
Fax: (717) 234-6692
kwashington@ruralinc.org

Counties Served: Adams, Clarion, Clearfield, Franklin, Luzerne, Montour, Somerset

Incorporated: 1985

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SUCCESS STORY

A farm worker for years, Alfonso Lua longed for a life outside of agriculture so he could better support his family. When he sustained a back injury while harvesting fruit, he was unable to continue farm work. However, this injury provided him with the impetus to achieve his lifelong dream of becoming a professional truck driver. Alfonso entered Rural Opportunities, Inc. of Pennsylvania's (ROI PA) Training and Employment Program in 1998.

Caseworkers provided Alfonso with support and encouragement. They helped him find and enroll in the AAA School of Trucking in Harrisburg, where he took classes to earn his Commercial Driver's License (CDL).

Alfonso worked hard during his training, and by December 1998 he secured his CDL. Within a month, he was hired by a local trucking company to drive full-time. Since then, Alfonso has learned to use the computer inside of his cab to navigate the roadways, and has even trained another truck driver - a fellow ROI PA program graduate.

Through hard work and determination, Alfonso achieved his dream. Today he earns nearly five times what he did as a farm worker, and volunteers his time as a member of the ROI PA's Board of Directors. He has not forgotten his past however, as Alfonso is a passionate advocate for farm worker rights.

As Alfonso's ROI PA caseworker Lorena Martinez says, "Alfonso is a goal oriented person. Everything he says he will do, he is going to do it - no matter how long it takes."