Finding Confidence and a New Path

January 28, 2026

When Sharonda Carithers attended a job fair hosted in partnership with Career Team at the Riverfront, she wasn’t sure what she was looking for, only that she wanted something different.

“I went in, and I talked to a lot of different [organizations], and none of them quite… sparked, or got me, excited”

She initially passed by the Food Bank of Delaware’s culinary training program, unsure if it was the right fit. Then something unexpected caught her eye.

“And then I was like, oh, they got LOGIC (Logistics, Operations, General Warehousing and Inventory Control) and I’ve seen the forklift, so I was like, I always wanted to drive one of those. Let me try.”

That moment led Sharonda to enroll in the Food Bank of Delaware’s logistics program, a 14-week course offering hands-on training and multiple certifications. What she found was far more than technical instruction.

“I came here and it was more than what I expected. It was me getting a chance to learn who I am,” she explained.

Transferring Skills and Building New Confidence

Before entering the program, Sharonda spent years working in hospitality, including hotel housekeeping, hospital cleaning, and other related jobs. At first, she questioned whether those experiences would translate into logistics.

With encouragement from Food Bank staff, she began to see her background in a new light. Workforce Program Coordinator Penni Enama told her, “When I think of hospitality, I think of customer service, great communication teamwork”

She replied, “I was like, you think so? She was like, ‘yeah, you can do this.’”

As the weeks went on, Sharonda found herself growing more confident, especially when learning to operate equipment.

In addition to learning how to use equipment, she also passed her written exams including Certified Logistics Associate, Certified Logistics Technician and OSHA-30 certification.

For Sharonda, one of the biggest takeaways from the program was learning how to embrace unfamiliar spaces.

“I never thought to place myself in an environment where I didn’t know anything. I always try to like, do things that I know… But knowing and learning stuff that you don’t know, it happened to come natural too,” she pointed out.

She credits the Food Bank of Delaware with helping her break out of a cycle she had been stuck in for years.

“I probably was still being in the same wondering mindset. Trying to figure out what’s next… When you come here, you figure out what’s next. And then you move to what’s next. You don’t keep trailing in a circle,” she explained.

Sharonda and her classmates graduated from the program in early January, and now, she is moving into a new apartment and continuing to build on what she started. She has been accepted into a CAD program, combining hands-on work with computer-based design.

In the long term, she hopes to grow into leadership and help others find their own way.

“I always want to share what I receive,” she said. “Just to be a figure that somebody can look towards and say, ‘well, you did it, you know. I can do it too.’”

When asked what she would say to someone considering the program, Sharonda doesn’t hesitate.

“Get into the program… allow yourself to expand, take yourself out of the normal,” she advised. Don’t be afraid to go into the unknown. Because when you step into the unknown, you never know what’s there until you get there.”