LAKELAND, Fla. — The Lakeland Chamber of Commerce is recognizing a staffing company called Help (her) for its innovative platform that offers flexible employment opportunities.

The company was founded in January 2020 and has been connecting businesses with qualified hourly workers ever since.

According to a local mother, the platform has given her a rare opportunity to have a job that values her expertise and supports her in prioritizing family.

Mayra Benitez leverages her knowledge of industrial engineering and manufacturing to assist small businesses in their growth.

“This is the main project they're working on right now. It's a dining table, and this will be the base of that table,” said Benitez.

Since January, she has been serving as the Director of Operations for Robert Berganza Furniture Design in Lakeland.

An opportunity was much needed since the pandemic led to the closure of her business, as she struggled to find employment.

“I was looking for 10 months doing hundreds of interviews with corporate companies, like big companies, and nothing was happening,” said Benitez.

A mother raising a young family, Benitez found a job that matched her qualifications after connecting with Help (her) founder Teresa O’Brien.

“My schedule was very flexible and that was what I wanted. I wanted to be able to do some work during the morning, and then in the afternoon I could dedicate my time to my family, cooking dinner and just helping them with the homework,” said Benitez.

Since founding the Help (her) app and platform, O’Brien has helped many local businesses secure staff as needed, resulting in numerous success stories.

“You can request a date, time and task that you want help with. And then helpers will pop up to say who's available,” said O’Brien.

Help Her has created a network of women of all ages including moms, empty nesters and seniors.

“I know women who want to work and can work, but they just need to do it when they are available,” said O’Brien.

Her client Robert Berganza, a small business owner, can now focus more on the creative side of his business with help on the operational end.

Benitez has now been hired as a permanent employee.

“With the size and scale of the business, I didn't really have a high expectation of finding such an ideal match,” said Berganza.

Benitez believes she has landed a dream job.

“I love that I could work on different projects and put into practice those mostly creative skills,” she said. “I thought it was a great opportunity for me to still go out, serve the community somehow, help some other local business owner, and be creative as well.”

(Spectrum Bay News 9/Fadia Patterson)