The Salvation Army & Education - Part IV (Final)
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on The Salvation Army's New Frontier Chronicle website. To read the full article, please go HERE.
By Christin Davis
HOPE Center in Los Banos, California
With unemployment more than double the national rate in Merced County, Calif., The Salvation Army Los Banos Corps started a HOPE Center—Helping Others Prepare for Employment.
Its resources and weekly workshops—from creating a résumé, to budgeting or building self-esteem—aim to break the cycle of poverty and enable self-sufficiency. It has increased the employability of over 1,500 people since October 2012.
Sandy Lemas, a retired 35-year veteran of Worknet, designed the program to target those in need of basic services before the job search.
“There are a lot of excellent services out there, but they are designed for people who are ready to work; we’re providing skills to get people there,” Lemas said. “We want people to be able to get jobs, and more importantly, keep a job once they get it.”
The HOPE Center is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for job seekers to help with job readiness and logistics, including bus passes to get to interviews. A clothes closet provides options for work-appropriate attire.
From 3 to 6 p.m., the resource computer lab is open for students, who can find assistance with homework or simply a place to complete it. Lemas said she discovered many of the students needed flash drives for class requirements, so the HOPE Center has a supply ready.
Gabriela came to the HOPE Center as a teen mom who wanted to work to support her daughter. Lemas said they completed a job search portfolio, and guided her on interviewing and employer expectations.
“When she came back after the McDonald’s interview and was hired it was such a great feeling—our first client’s job placement,” Lemas said. The center then assisted in securing her the required black pants and shoes, completing the online training course and helping her prepare right to work documentation.
HOPE Center has referral relationships with a number of local organizations, including Memorial Hospital, Oasis ReStore, Soroptimist, Habitat for Humanity, and Los Banos Chamber of Commerce.