St. George's Job Assistance Program

A New Initiative In Our Holistic Approach to Social Support

”If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill’, and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?” James 2:15-16

Whenever we talk with those we serve whether it be at the feeding program for the homeless and poor, the families in our after school program, or others within our community and congregation there is one subject that always came up-jobs. The overall unemployment rate for all of Palm Beach County is close to 13% but in depressed areas like Riviera Beach the local jobless percentage is closer to 25% or more.

Over the past several months we have been developing a Job Assistance Program at St. George's Community Center in Riviera Beach, Florida, to help the jobless in our community find work. Rather than reinvent the proverbial wheel, we have learned from our other social service programs, that it is often better to partner or cooperate with a larger existing program.

At the same time we were blessed to have a visiting clergy, Father Rudo. P. Louis A. Morales Quiñones, an Episcopal priest who recently retired as a Navy Chaplain, with us for a few days. During his tour we discussed the nature of social services and he introduced the concept of being “holistic” towards individuals and families. Being holistic, means that social services must do more than just meet basic needs, they must empower those we serve to find their potential as human beings.

We believe that being holostic is consistent with the message God gave Moses on Mount Sinai recorded in Leviticus 25. When we empower the poor and downtrodden to be an active part of improving their condition so that they can sow the fruits of their labor, we lay the foundation for them to be truly free and a part of God's Jubilee.

With this new way of looking at social support, we decided to pursue two new programs-job assistance and adult literacy. Today we are talking about the Jobs Assistance Program.

In Palm Beach County, Workforce Alliance is the organization chartered by the State of Florida to develop, create and retain a quality workforce system in Palm Beach County and offers its professional services to all employers and job seekers in the County. Father Michael McManus and laity toured and met with officials to build a bridge of cooperation between Workforce Alliance and St. George's.

A key part of how Workforce Alliance operates involves the use of the state database and linking program, www.employflorida.com. Which links all of Florida's state and local workforce services and resources as well as most all other job sites both public and private. The partners are Workforce Florida, the state policy and oversight board, and the Agency for Workforce Innovation, the state agency which administers workforce funds. At the local level, there are 24 regional workforce boards that administer more than 80 "one-stop centers."

Every Monday from 12:30 to 5:30 P.M. We have began a counseling one on one program for those looking for job assistance. Applicants are entered into the computer database and a computerized customized job search is carried out for the applicant during the session. Once applicants are registered we advise them that they may benefit by to going to a Workforce Alliance center to meet with a Career Specialist, take a course in computer skills or resume writing, and/or to apply for special training programs or job eligibility programs.

The applicants are screened to determine if they fit into any special categories which includes Veterans with at least 6 months history of Active Duty with an Honorable Discharge and families with at least one minor dependent child and an income below the Federal Poverty level for the number of members in the household. We also counsel those that are unemployed and poor that they may qualify for special scholarships which allow for vocational training in jobs predicted to be in great demand for Palm Beach County.

Applicants may return each Monday for follow up counseling, job searches, and to receive clothing which makes them more presentable and professional for job interviews, We try to find at least three job opportunities for each applicant at each visit. For some applicants we offer a 31 day Bus Pass (this is derived from a separate grant program) which can be used to go to the Workforce Alliance facility in West Palm Beach or for job interviews.

Some employers schedule interviews at the Workforce Alliance Center which require applicants to preregister before attending. Every Monday we post the weeks schedule of interviews in the Parish hall where our feeding program is held.

We have discovered that the old manner of calling for interviews to apply for a job has become extinct. Even for jobs like dishwasher, ranch hand, and janitor many employers have gone to only online applications. This means that is mandatory for those seeking a job to know how to use email and have regular access to a computer. Most employers, even for the lowest paying and lest skilled of positions, will not even look at an application if no resume is submitted.

Although you might think our services would only be necessary for the less educated and traditionally poor, we have lately counseled laid off engineers, MBAs, accountants, and a lawyer from other Episcopal parishes.

The vast majority of jobs demand that in the application process the applicant document on their resume the possession of several years of experience which can be confirmed by phone numbers to previous employers. The resume must have matching keywords to the job description.

Many of the people we serve are lacking in computer skills and may feel overwhelmed by the demands of the new way of finding a job. At the present time we do not have the resources to allow them personal access to our limited computer terminals but we do refer them to either Workforce Alliance or other trainers in these skills. Despite these “obstacles” by being “gentle and indulgent” like St. Ignatius teaches us, we have been able to make some gains. We always pray with and for all whom we serve.

We welcome any who have prayers,questions,suggestions,donations, or offers to volunteer along with us.

August 27, 2010