Employing the Unemployed

Still too idealistic??

2007-08-13T14:12:00.001-04:00

Getting closer to the end of the project, and it is pretty exciting to really see some progress since the beginning of the summer. The interviews with David (we ended up having the one Wednesday afternoon, then another one this morning) went pretty well. It is interesting seeing the transition from mock interview professionalism to after the interview, going over what he said and shouldn’t have said, where we were all joking around. He is interviewing tomorrow for a company, and we are setting him up with a few other companies in the mean time, and his birth certificate is on its way to CareerLink as we speak. I also talked to Nancy this afternoon, who went for an interview on Friday. She isn’t finished with the program necessarily, but if she gets this position she will be required to take a reading and math test, and the remediation in the program will be extremely useful for that test. Danielle completed her last few hours for the GED pre-testing sessions, and hopefully has scheduled her final test for her GED for this week (I need to call her still…), and Catherine is trying to work the remediation around her part-time work schedule as much as possible so she can continue to works towards clerical work. I also need to get reconnected with Samantha, who I am hoping will get involved with the program again and hopefully attend some of the evening classroom sessions. Kenneth left his shelter last week, which was extremely upsetting because he seemed so earnest and motivated. He just seemed really determined to get through everything to show that he really could work through it all, and it was extremely disappointing to see him leave the area before he had finished it. I think this brought me back to reality (not completely, apparently, since I am still leaving this internship incredibly idealistic and optimistic!) and helped me realize that I am only seeing one challenge that these individuals are dealing with on a day to day basis… Still, I believe that even if we can help ease some of the problems in one area we can help make a difference in that person’s life, even if just a little bit.

Way too hot for professional clothes!

2007-08-07T13:54:00.000-04:00

My last real week at United Way--- wow this summer really flew by! Esther had her mock interview yesterday morning, in which we discussed how to answer difficult questions, what questions to ask, and went into a little bit more detail about interviews in general. I learned a lot just listening to all this, and I hope Esther did as well. She is up to the real job search part, so I am excited to see how this goes!
David is having his interview tomorrow, because I caused this major miscommunication. It is HOT outside, close to 105 degrees I think, and I was concerned about how he was going to get to CareerLink. Having to walk places really stinks, especially if you need to be wearing professional, interviewing clothes! I called him to see if he had transportation secured and to make sure he was coming in to the interview despite the heat, but unfortunately I couldn’t leave all of that in a message. By the time he got a hold of me he had already been into CareerLink, talked with Brenda, and rescheduled the interview for tomorrow afternoon. I guess I just ended up creating more problems by trying to help him out of that one!
This morning I watched the cutest little kids for this couple that is living in one of the shelters and went to look at an apartment. I can’t even begin to describe how cute these kids were, and just sitting with them for an hour or so was so much fun. I love working with adults, but hanging out with these kids was just such a great experience!

Woo Hoo!!!

2007-08-02T13:03:00.000-04:00

This week has been so exciting; I haven’t even had a chance to keep up with this! Monday I met with a few women from Family Services to discuss the possibility of having a Mary Kay session dedicated to homeless women, to help with preparing for work and interviews on a tight budget, and essentially boost self-confidence in a work environment. This project has SOO much potential, so hopefully we can get it up and running as soon as possible! Tuesday was a really busy day—in the morning I sat through the last few sections of Alchemy with Kenneth, who now has something completely finished and is on his way! I then met with a reporter from the Lancaster Intell, who interviewed me about what I have learned and experienced so far this summer. Finally, that afternoon David and Esther took the WorkKeys test! Proctoring the test was so long and boring, and apparently I breathe very loudly in a quiet room, so I spent most of the time trying not to distract them with my breathing! I did make cookies for them, and at the end of the test we talked for a good while about job prospects, the next steps, and Esther finished the final part of Alchemy (she is officially done with the program now!!!). This part after the test was actually a lot of fun, because we were all just hanging out, talking, and everyone was so happy—it was a great feeling! Of course, chocolate chip cookies help! Bobby Joe even got employee of the month, so all in all Tuesday was just great!

This morning we got the results back--- both of them passed! Esther passed with the silver level at 5-5-6, and David got bronze with 4-4-4. Both brought up their scores so significantly, David just needs Digital Literacy, and Esther is ready for interviews. I am so happy for both of them!

I also had a chance to catch up with Catherine, Danielle, and Samantha yesterday, all of whom I am very happy to report are still interested in pursuing the program!

I'm beating you this time!

2007-07-27T14:17:00.000-04:00

Thursday morning I saw David leaving as I was walking into CareerLink, and I immediately started questioning where he was on Tuesday. I felt a little bit bad at the time for yelling at him, but I really had been concerned and I was relieved to see him. He had been sick the other days apparently, and promised me that he would continue to show up on time for the rest of his time in the program. Interestingly enough though I met up with his case manager later Friday afternoon, and he could not stop saying how much David has appreciated how much care he has been shown—that he couldn’t believe that someone would care that much. I am realizing more and more how much everyone just needs support and attention.
The other big surprise this week was with Nancy. Nancy had met with me earlier at one of the shelters, and when we didn’t see her at the first appointment I had thought she just didn’t want to do the program. In reality, she had walked in to CareerLink and been directed to another program in the building. It all worked out for the best though, because she caught up with Bobby Joe Thursday, took WIN assessment, and returned Friday morning for Alchemy. Actually, since she was the only one in Alchemy Bobby Joe requested that I take it with her to make it more entertaining—and we had a blast! We got really competitive during the lightning rounds, and we turned it into a fun morning overall. I really like Nancy, and I am so excited that she is sticking with the program. She is doing Digital Literacy Monday morning, and at this rate she should be through the program in no time!

It is all coming to a close!

2007-07-24T09:13:00.000-04:00

Well, it is strange to think that in a month I will not be doing this anymore… at least not to the extent I have all summer. However, this half-week has been the first time where I really feel like we are making a lot of progress with… everything really. Esther, David, possibly Catherine, and Maximus (one of the other clients who I have met with at one of the shelters that has been involved with the program but that I am not personally responsible for) are all just about ready to take the WorkKeys test! Also, we are starting to discuss extending what we have started this summer and institutionalizing my position for volunteers or interns from F&M and/or Millersville (this is VERY early in the planning process, but the potential is huge!). Essentially this person would just work with one individual through the process (more for an internship) and really help create a link between the shelters and CareerLink to make everything run as smoothly as possible. This week I have also spent a lot of time working on David’s identification issues, and I think we are finally getting somewhere with that as well—if he would have shown up today when he was supposed to we could have sent out the paperwork today! I am just giving him a hard time, because this is the first time he has done anything even remotely disappointing. Same with Danielle, who was supposed to show up this morning but also missed her session. I don’t think they are failures for this at all, and I still have a lot of hope for both of them with this program and employment in general. I’m always a bit taken back when I talk to some of my friends, some who have never worked with homeless individuals and some who have worked primarily with the extremes (chronically homeless, living on the streets with alcohol or drug addictions and mental health issues), by the perceptions of homelessness. I have worked with just the population that is at least interested in employment, so my perspective that anyone can achieve anything if they want it badly enough sounds naïve and innocent to those who work in some of the more difficult situations, particularly with the chronically homeless or those living on the streets. Still, I am happy that I am this far into the summer and still truly believe that the people I am working with will succeed in finding employment with a well-paying job, be able to afford a place to live, and will be as successful as they can possibly be.

Real Progress

2007-07-20T13:45:00.000-04:00

All of my clients are really making a lot of progress, and at the rate they are going they should be through the program in no time! David in particular has been above and beyond with the assessments, and if he attends all of the sessions he is scheduled for next week he will be ready for WorkKeys and placement the following week. I have a lot of confidence in what he has shown so far, and he is by far the easiest one to work with out of everyone right now (him and Esther, but I do not work with her as frequently since she is so far in the program and I don’t do more than just check in with her occasionally), so I appreciate that a lot. Kenneth is making a lot of progress, but he needs a lot of individual help and attention that is overwhelming at times. He is so motivated to succeed though, and I do think that if he keeps at it this program really will help him with a lot in the future. Catherine was on time for alchemy this morning, and while she believes it was a waste of time and simple, I am interested to see if she got 100% on the test. She will start with remediation next week, and the following week will be digital literacy and (hopefully!) WorkKeys!
Esther came in yesterday to work on remediation, and I really was happy to see her again. She explained the situation to me about how and why she got kicked out of the house she was staying in, but then insisted that she wanted to be in the program, and to succeed and get a good job and on her feet again. Danielle came in to meet with Bobby Joe yesterday to discuss the program, furthering education, and a bit of her background. I want Danielle to succeed, I mean I want them all in jobs, but I think Danielle and Esther are the two that I am really mentally fighting for. Danielle was talking about she was probably moving into an apartment with her boyfriend, even though they were having a rocky time right now. She knew it was a bad decision, and I think she wanted one of us to confirm that, but Bobby Joe handled the situation perfectly I think. She tried to help with the actual problem—she helped Danielle map out how she could make enough money to pay for the apartment herself, and work towards her education and doing what she wants to do with her life. At no point did she question why Danielle would think to do that, and I think Danielle left feeling much more confident about her education and career situation. Hopefully she doesn’t move in with him!

"Give a man a fish you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

2007-07-17T15:29:00.000-04:00

These past few days have been pretty intense, and I am realizing how much I have become attached to a few of my clients. Last Thursday Catherine casually mentioned that Esther had been kicked out of their housing the other night and probably wouldn’t be continuing with the program. I tried really hard not to let myself get upset, but I was crushed! Esther was one of my favorite clients to talk to, and I really believed that this was her chance to restart, get back on track, and live her life the way she wants. I also really do think that she would be a great drug and alcohol counselor, and hopefully help people in the future to avoid prison and everything else. I held on to a bit of hope, but when she did not show up for her training on Monday morning I could not help thinking that we had lost her.
When I got back to the office I had a message from her. I called her back, and truly was ecstatic when she said she wanted to continue with the program, that she thought her appointment was Tuesday and not Monday, and that she also believed that this was her chance to change her life. I was so happy for her!
Friday afternoon I also went over to one of the shelters and ran into Megan, one of the ladies that I was supposed to work with but couldn’t because she needed a job and money immediately. She seemed like a great candidate, so of course I was upset when she couldn’t do the program, but she continued to tell me that she wanted to go for her CNA training as soon as she was settled. Last Monday she had an interview with Donnelley Printing, where she got a job, and by Friday she had found a place to live and was moving out of the shelter. She really had gotten back on her feet with a job and a place to live—and I have never seen anyone so happy about finding a job and a room! Even in her excitement, she was telling me that she hadn’t forgotten about training as a CNA and would contact me in a few months.
Seeing how happy this woman was and Esther showing that much determination really helped me understand why people remain so dedicated to this population, despite the fact that most people do not get to that point. Bobby Joe said to me earlier this summer that if you can make a difference in one person’s life it really is worthwhile, and I finally understand what she means by that. I am also looking at the work that her and Max (the teacher for Ready to Work) do and realizing that beyond just helping these people find a job, they are making them feel worthwhile in so many ways. Every person that walks in that room is known by name, encouraged constantly, and spoken to with a level of respect that is unseen in almost every aspect of life. Every day these individuals walk away feeling more accomplished, determined, and ready to make the difference. While the job is the ultimate goal, this program offers a sense of accomplishment and support to each person. As corny as it is, I keep thinking of the saying, “Give a man a fish you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime.” I feel like these people can finish this program with enough confidence in their skills to help them find and keep jobs for the rest of their lives.
Kenneth started his digital literacy program Monday morning (for which he was fifteen minutes early). This is the man who has never encountered a computer before, and was extremely intimidated yet excited to learn. By the end of his session with Max he could not wait until his next opportunity to come in and practice using the computer. While this man does require a lot of one on one interaction, encouragement, and support, he does show the motivation and dedication needed to complete this program.
Immediately following Kenneth, David and I met with Bobby Joe to discuss his plans. A younger man in his mid-20s, he has a daughter with a woman from New York who he no longer speaks with, but he wants to support his daughter. Overall he shouldn’t really have any trouble finding a job, as he has experience in maintenance, welding, flooring, and painting, and he was early for his appointment today (the time sounds fairly trivial, but the most dedicated people tend to be those who show up on time or early, especially since most people use public transportation or walk to make sure they are there on time). We start the assessment with him on Thursday.

Why should I use this program???

2007-07-13T12:13:00.000-04:00

These past two days have been so busy they feel like their own separate week! Yesterday morning I went to one of the shelters to casually talk about how the program with Ready to Work was going so far. The meeting ended up being a wide assortment of people ranging from individuals who are ready for the WorkKeys test to people who have never stepped foot in CareerLink, and I honestly don’t think I could have prepared for a better group. All I did was sit there and asked/answered questions occasionally, but for the most part I just listened to them talk to each other about the program. Listening to them talk I realized that this was the best form of advertising for the program within this population, and that overall they loved the program so far. One of the gentlemen there kept asking why he should use this program, why he shouldn’t just get a job, and all of the other people who were almost done with the program tried to convince him how worthwhile the program really was. I really enjoyed talking with these men and hearing about their experiences.
Catherine showed up for WIN testing, although she was forty-five minutes late, and was just as enthusiastic as ever about the program. Unfortunately, Debbie did not show up or call. I called her later in the afternoon to follow up, and she apologized and told me she forgot. It is tough, because of everyone I am meeting with or have met with, she is the first person that I am not too confident about. I do not think she is motivated enough to stick with the program, which is upsetting, and I am hoping she proves me wrong. Catherine did really well on her WIN assessment though, and needs remediation only in math. She is very concerned about getting a job within 30 days, so hopefully we can work that out. Ironically, she did not show up for alchemy core this morning (although she did call to tell us she wasn’t coming, which shows that she is still motivated…) but Debbie did. Danielle also showed up, and we are going to meet with her early next week to discuss her plans with welfare and continuing the program.
This morning I met with Kenneth and David, my first male clients that I will be taking through the program! David was the unexpected one, but he seems so friendly and easy to work with that I am not too concerned about working with him. Kenneth is older, and I think he is going to be a handful. He works a little slower than most of the people I have worked with up to this point, and it took us a great deal of time to get through the paperwork, enrollment, and resume process. He is motivated enough, I do believe that, and should have no problems getting to his scheduled appointments. My concerns with him are that he will get extremely frustrated. He knows nothing about computers, at all, and since the majority of his learning will take place on the computer I imagine it will be fairly difficult. I am hoping to maintain his motivation and dedication to bettering his skills, although I think he will be my most exhausting case. I do believe that he is a hard worker, and he eventually would like to get training as a plumber, so hopefully we can work something out for him.
This morning during orientation I also saw a glimpse as to why some of the CareerLink staff may get frustrated after awhile. One of the ladies in orientation with us tried to start a fight over every detail of orientation with the administrator, other clients, and myself. She continuously mumbled under her breath about filling out paperwork, would not listen when I or the administrator tried to explain the process for creating a resume, and was getting frustrated before she even began the job search. Eventually the other clients were trying to comfort her, simply because it put everyone in an extremely uncomfortable position! I was very impressed with how the administrator handled the situation, and to be honest I can’t even imagine how frustrating it must be, dealing with that on a regular basis!

Real Potential

2007-07-10T12:11:00.000-04:00

It is only Tuesday, and already I am counting down the days to the weekend. This feels like such a long week! Ironically enough, not because of my clients. Esther has been working on remediation and digital literacy, and I am working on getting her a bus pass though the County Assistance Office. I need to find out if everyone I am working with is on some type of benefit plan, because these bus passes sound like a great opportunity for people. On hot days like today and yesterday it is not even safe to walk that far to get to CareerLink! I am so excited for Esther though, because I really think she can take the WorkKeys test (whenever that actually happens!) and get placed into a great job.
Monday morning I met with Catherine to sit through orientation and get her started with the Ready to Work program by just giving her some background information. We had a chance to sit down again today with Bobby Joe and briefly discuss the program and her intentions. Catherine really is so excited about this program because she needs the opportunity to relearn certain skills, work on her math and computer skills, and get into a well-paying clerical job. At the end of our meeting, she actually hugged me good bye for helping her so much. I didn’t even know how to react, because I really didn’t feel like I had helped her much at all (she came in with a resume, knew how to use the computer, and was already enrolled on CareerLink…. All I did was sit with her and talk with her a bit, promising to help her along the way). It really did make me truly happy when she hugged me though, because she really was so appreciative of, well, I don’t even know what exactly. It seems like with that kind of enthusiasm it is impossible to fail!
We met with Danielle today as well. I helped her with her resume and the CareerLink enrollment and got to talk with her about GED and about her boyfriend. Bobby Joe asked her how she ended up in the shelter (I really owe her one for that, because I always wonder but don’t really feel like it is my place to ask… and a lot of times I don’t want it to be my place. I want to be another resource they have that isn’t judging them, or asking them questions that I wouldn’t want to be asked if I were in their positions. But of course I am always curious!), and I got pretty upset when I heard her story. She just got out of the state hospital, didn’t have anywhere else to go, and ended up at the emergency shelter. While there she met her boyfriend, who she has now been dating for 4 months and living with in the shelter, and who she plans on moving into an apartment with. She really has potential—she is so young, pretty smart, has really strong interpersonal skills and knows how to present herself professionally (she was better dressed than I was today!). She also has a job, has been a supervisor before, and just seems to be struggling with some mental health issues that she is working hard to control. Bobby Joe is going to help set her up with welfare assistance, but I think both of us were pretty disappointed to hear that she planned on moving out of the shelter with him. Especially since she mentioned earlier that things weren’t wonderful between them! I am still amazed when I hear how much these relationships play into each other and influence their lives.

You never used a computer before.... ever?

2007-07-06T12:09:00.000-04:00

After the 4th of July holiday, these last two days really felt like a chore! Everyone seemed more drained than they had earlier in the week, and most of Thursday felt like a Monday! Yesterday morning I went to another shelter to explain the Ready to Work program to more individuals living there, again searching for motivation more than anything. Kenneth, who I am of course excited to take into the program, was so enthusiastic about making his life better for himself, learning the skills needed to use a computer or work with maintenance, and basically take advantage of every opportunity he is given. As we talked I could tell how nervous he was about the program because it is intimidating—imagine how difficult it must be to admit that you need help to even get the basic skills required to make a livable wage. Not to mention, this man has never used a computer before. This is something that I find difficult to grasp entirely, simply because I was raised on a computer, but I cannot even imagine how scary it would be to learn something so common (seriously, how many people do you know who have NEVER used a computer for anything?) yet still extremely new and probably confusing. My heart really went out to this guy (I can picture Lenny shaking his head at me now….) because he really does seem so motivated to help himself out, to make a difference in his life and better himself in the long run. I kept telling him that I really thought if he stayed motivated he could get through this program and we could find him a great job that he was happy with and that paid the rent—I really believe that. To some extent I think he needed to hear that reassurance out loud, and I think he will stay motivated.
After that meeting I sat in on Esther’s WIN and ONET assessments. She did pretty well on the math assessment, but needs remediation for the reading ones. Unfortunately she ended up with a 0 on the reading for information assessment by accidentally clicking the wrong button at one point, so she has to retake that test entirely! She completed most of her alchemy core this morning, so now she just has to complete some remediation, digital literacy, and then finally the WorkKeys test! I enjoy working with her a lot though, and the longer I have been working with her the more I think she is just a great person in general. She wants to get into a social work type position (particularly with drug and alcohol abuse prevention), and she is so sociable and easy to talk with that I think she will really contribute a lot to that field. Not to mention, the greatest type of support you can provide is speaking from first hand experience from someone who has worked their way out of that situation. It is funny though, because I think she has really blown away a lot of my stereotypes about people coming from prison, the homeless, or even recovering drug addicts—prejudices I didn’t even know I held until I was talking with her and realized how surprised I was by some of the things she was telling me. Listening to her talk about her concerns about her child, enjoying the shows in Binns Park, and even eating certain meals or enjoying certain restaurants or TV shows, I am realizing how much this woman just made a few bad decisions in her life but she is not a bad person. She wanted to make a difference in her life, and now she has had the opportunity to do that!
I met with Debbie, another customer, for orientation this morning. We got her enrolled on CareerLink and set her up with a functional resume, but the real part of Ready to Work starts on Thursday with the WIN, Digital Literacy, and ONET assessment. Debbie is married with two children to support, and has her high school diploma and experience as a cashier and sales associate. She originally was interested in computer graphics and completed a lot of classes on computer graphics and design during high school, but is now interested in clerical or reception work. In general, computers have advanced significantly since she last used one on a regular basis so it would take a good bit of time and energy to catch up in that field. Hopefully she can stay motivated through the program!

Whoops!

2007-07-03T12:07:00.000-04:00

Monday morning I met with Danielle to go through the CareerLink orientation and enroll her on the website. I had never met with her before, so she actually walked right past me into orientation and it took me another ten minutes to figure out she had already come in! She really is great though, and really seems motivated to make the differences for herself. She was interested in the IU-13 program to obtain her GED, and ended up sitting through the whole morning session before realizing that it was in fact a full day orientation for that program! She finished most of the testing needed for placement that day though, and is scheduled to return to finish the tests on Thursday of this week.
Actually, she shouldn’t even require too much remediation to catch up to take the test and will probably fly through the program. Only being 19 years old, she actually dropped out in her last two months of high school only a year ago! I think working with her will touch the closest to home for me, as my sister just graduated from high school this past June and she was struggling at that as well. I actually understand where Danielle is coming from when she says it is hard to stay motivated those past few months, and I respect that she has already matured enough, in one year, to realize that she made the mistake and needs that education to make a decent life for herself. She also seems very excited about the Ready to Work program, going through whatever training is necessary to get a well-paying job and back on her feet—possibly even getting her CNA certificate to work in some sort of mental health or social work position.

This morning I was supposed to meet Isabel at CareerLink for orientation, and she actually did not show up. I found out later that she moved out of her shelter, so I will not know exactly why she didn’t follow through with the program. It ended up working out well though because I had the opportunity to find out more details about the CareerLink services, procedures, and programs. I talked with Lisa from CareerLink, and now understand why my first day with Heidi was so complex—basically because I can’t follow directions! The pass system allows clients to utilize the computers and services, while still maintaining a comfortable working environment for the employees. It also helps everyone communicate and allows staff members to offer greater individual assistance to each client that works in the resource room to search for a job. As far as the various programs offered, it is probably much less complex for someone who is entering CareerLink with a specific goal in mind. For example, Danielle was interested in getting a GED and was instantly connected with the class and program following the orientation. So basically, if I would have sat through the orientation before coming into the resource room, I would have had a much easier time in general!

How can he be expected to make it in the “real world” without ID, a job, or a house for 6 months?

2007-06-29T12:04:00.000-04:00

I am thinking about this past week, and it really has been so eye opening. The one thing that I knew going into this was that everyone has an agenda- whether it be the administrators, the funding groups/providers, or the clients themselves. Still, that has been one of my favorite parts about this position because I really get to see first hand how they all interact, the communication barriers, and even the intricacies that help define the systems. Everyone has an opinion on these programs and complications that arise for this population, and I am just starting to see the whole picture.

Monday morning I met Samantha at CareerLink for the orientation program. She had already sat through it before, so I felt like I benefited from that more than she did! We talked pretty casually about her past and where she wanted to be in the future, joking around and laughing like we had known each other for awhile at that point. She wants to be a teacher eventually, but still needs her GED and associates degree to get to that point. She has the grades, the motivation, and I actually really loved talking to this woman and believe that she will be successful at some point. Despite all of Lenny’s warnings, I was really getting excited that we were finally going to see how this program works. I was pretty disappointed on Thursday when we met with Bobby Joe and I find out that Samantha is already enrolled in the WSC welfare program in CareerLink, meaning that she cannot participate in the Ready to Work program. I did end up helping her with applying for a birth certificate and got a chance to talk with her after we found out that she could not participate, and I still think that she will do well, it was just really upsetting to not be able to help with that process anymore. I think I was even more frustrated that this was now the third client who has not even made it to the first level of assessment! (Heidi apparently left her shelter without notice, and Katie needed to use another program at CareerLink, so….. not too successful so far!)

Tuesday I met with clients from another shelter to explain the Ready to Work program and find two motivated people ready for the commitment. I met with a group of ladies and tried to help in any way I could with their employment prospects. The two women that I will be working with are very different women, yet both seem pretty interested in the program and employment prospects. Megan, the first woman, has a lot of experience with housekeeping and customer service, and eventually hopes to earn her CNA and work with people in nursing homes. She definitely seems like a great candidate for this program in the sense that she definitely has the motivation and excitement needed to stick with it—she stopped me every time she saw me for the rest of the day and talked about when we were meeting up again to start her career search! The second woman, Isabel, has a background in massage therapy, a high school diploma, and experience in the food industry. She seems really interested in the herbal, natural remedies and cures for everything, and thankfully I understand a little bit of what she is talking about from my experiences last semester at Women & Health (they offer complementary therapies as a form of medical treatments—she would have LOVED this place!). I am meeting with both women next week for orientation and to get started!

Thursday was an extremely interesting day. (I know I use the word interesting a few times, but that is because I simply do not have the words to describe some of the things I saw, heard, and felt at these different places. Everything has been so eye opening!) Thursday morning started with the homelessness prevention meeting that looked primarily at the healthcare system. The meeting included representatives from the shelters and hospitals in the area, and we basically concluded that there is a problem with discharge planning we just have no idea how many people this actually includes. Everyone kept saying “there aren’t enough beds,” “there isn’t enough money,” “it isn’t our fault.” All of that is true, to some extent, because there is never enough money, beds, staff, equipment, or anything in these hospitals or shelters. I guess my job now is to construct this survey that should help these professionals keep track of how many people this type of discharge affects, and more specifically what is needed to help these people. After this meeting I really will be surprised no matter what the number ends up being, for it sounds like it could be a huge problem or just a few cases that everyone keeps recycling.

After this meeting and Samantha’s meeting I helped out at the ID clinic for the day. Like the last session, I could not believe some of the stories these people would tell me about how much they need their identification. My most upsetting case this week was a man just released from prison with no forms of identification except for a letter from his parole officer. According to him he applied for his birth certificate while he was still incarcerated, but it didn’t actually arrive until after his release so it was returned to the sender. I called the Office of Vital Records from his county to see what he could do, and unfortunately I do not know how much we will actually be able to get with this letter alone. I asked the probation officer to send us a picture to see if maybe we could send this as a form of photo identification, but the fax came in so dark that all you could see were eyes on a black silhouette. After being there for almost an hour, he ended up leaving almost no further than when he entered—with no ID and nothing actually in process. Without even one form of identification, it will be months before he is able to get all of the ID necessary to get a job or a house. How can he be expected to make it in the “real world” without ID, a job, or a house for 6 months? It is no wonder that so many people end up cycling through these systems! Overall the ID Clinic was a huge success, and almost everyone who comes through is so appreciative of everything offered through the clinic. This needs to become a regular part of CareerLink!

This morning was the last meeting with the Tabor TLC study group, and I really think that Tabor will go with the proposal to turn a floor of TLC into permanent single room occupancies (SROs), which seems like it will really help with the financial aspects, staffing, and even the housing issues that they are currently having. I am a little upset that these Friday morning meetings are over though, because I really enjoyed listening to these people talk about these issues (each with his/her own agenda, of course) and actually come to a conclusion about how we can actually approach the problems. I feel like so many times meetings go in circles and never actually conclude anything, so it felt great to sit in on a group that proposed a realistic solution and game plan, especially one that has the power to make it happen. It was also great to finally feel like I was getting to know the members of that group, to expect certain people to make certain comments and know what leads them to say or feel that way. Still, I am excited to see what happens with the proposal and if a few years from now it is actually put into effect.

I met with Esther and Bobby Joe this morning to start Esther on the Ready to Work program. Finally, we are making progress! Esther qualifies for the program in the sense that she is not obligated to complete something else in CareerLink, and while I don’t think she was necessarily motivated before the meeting she definitely left with a bit more excitement about the entire process. She has so much potential too—she has her B.S. in communications, with a minor in psychology, and has a lot of experience in this field and as a waitress. She also seems motivated if for no other reason than to take care of her son, who she talked about with such love and concern it seemed hard to imagine that this woman had just been released from prison. I enjoyed talking to her as well, and actually have two more meetings set up for next week to FINALLY start the assessments, alchemy, and the Ready to Work Program! After such a long week it felt amazing to end on such a great note!

"There is nothing wrong with me."

2007-06-18T11:59:00.000-04:00

Today was my first real day on this project, and I am really having mixed emotions on the entire day. Overall, I love what I am going to be doing, and I think that CareerLink is offering a great service to people who need help finding a job. It is definitely interesting being on non administrative side, listening to these people talk about some of their decisions, the consequences, and how much all they want is a little bit of help.

I spent the morning at the ID clinic organized by the Workforce Investment Board. The clinic clearly outlined the societal and structural problems that lead to poverty and homelessness, as everyone who came in was really interested in just getting back their ID, social security card, or birth certificate so that they could get jobs or prove identity to get an income. The system really does create a catch 22—You need a driver’s license or state issued ID to work, drive, or get welfare. You need a social security card and birth certificate to get your license. However, you need photo ID and your birth certificate to get your social security card, and you need your social security card and photo ID to get your birth certificate. People who needed all three were in a very tight spot, to say the least! My heart really went out to the first guy that talked to me. He was requesting a new driver’s license so that he could drive to work and get a real job. Apparently about 12 or 13 years ago he was caught driving on an expired license. Before this he had never been pulled over or ticketed even so much as a parking ticket, but he had not renewed his license because he couldn’t afford it, and he could not pay the fine because he really could not afford that. He ended up losing his job because he could no longer drive to work, and he could not set up a payment plan for the fine since he no longer had an income. The fine kept gaining interest, and two weeks ago he got a letter saying that there was now a warrant out for his arrest over this fine which had grown into the thousands of dollars. All he wanted was his license so that he could make an income and afford to pay off the fine. A woman from the legal clinic kept questioning why he wasn’t on welfare and eventually forced him to talk to the welfare department. The man just kept repeating, “There is nothing wrong with me. I just need my license so I can get a job and go to work. I don’t need welfare. There is nothing wrong with me.”

This was how everyone I met today felt about welfare. They did not want to be on it; they wanted to get a job and provide for themselves and their families. I met with about 8 people in the morning for the ID Clinic, most of whom came from the Water Street Rescue Mission and all of whom needed photo ID to get a job. Most of them could not afford to get to Penn Dot to renew their license because of the distance (Penn Dot is on Rohrerstown Road, which is not too accessible on foot from the Mission) and the $10 to $26 payment for the actual renewal. Aside from just the costs, the paperwork is extensive, confusing, and extremely frustrating if you just want to get ID. Overall I was really impressed with the ID Clinic, especially since it was the first time they have ever tried it and I don’t think I realized how much of a difference something like that could make to a person’s whole life.

This afternoon I met with Heidi for the first time. She wanted to get to CareerLink at 2:00 for her 3:30 appointment, just to make sure her resume was perfect and ready when she met with Bobby Joe. I really do have a lot of confidence in her, and I really believe that she should have no problem finding a job. She is a certified medical assistant, currently working two jobs that make barely above minimum wage, very personable and determined to find a well-paying job. On paper, she is the perfect applicant coming out of homelessness to look for a job, complete with longer term jobs and experience, proof of dedication, and an education. Of course, there are individual reasons as to why she doesn’t have a job, and I think listening to her really opened my eyes a bit as to how much you really need to consider both sides. She is working hard, and on a minimum wage job (even with two jobs) she is not making enough to move into her own apartment. However, she does have three kids with another one on the way, a “man” who is currently in jail over something so serious that he will seriously struggle finding a job or living in a shelter (the fact that she did not describe it explicitly also suggests something, since within the first 10 minutes of meeting her I felt like there were no boundaries in what she told me about her life), and is recovering from drug abuse that caused her kids and house to be taken away.

CareerLink itself is…pretty complex. The system really is great, especially on paper and in theory. The website is fairly user friendly, and for anyone with any experience or knowledge of a computer it shouldn’t be too difficult to navigate (I will see how this works for someone with no experience in the coming weeks, but Heidi was pretty comfortable on the computer and did not encounter too many problems). Bobby Joe had given me a handful of pink passes last week to use in the computer lab, so we just went in and sat down at one of the computers. We didn’t notice the signs about signing in or anything (I didn’t even think of looking, which didn’t help…), and I assumed that pass would be fine. On two separate occasions we were asked to show this pass and explain what we were doing there, being told that the pass was not real and did not give us access. Thankfully one of the employees that helped with the ID clinic in the morning recognized me and explained what we were doing there, but I do not know what we need to do when he is not there, or even worse if I am not there. If necessary I could explain where I was from and what I was doing, find Bobby Joe, and work out the situation. I still am not really sure what the correct procedure is to use the computers, although I will try to look into it for the next client I meet. The rest of our session went really well though, and Bobby Joe really was great with Heidi. She was honest and compassionate about the situation, which is probably the most necessary and difficult approach in that line of work.

One-Stop Shop

2007-06-15T12:03:00.000-04:00

This week has been really interesting, to say the least. I met with the staff for TLC, Clare House, and Water Street Rescue Mission, and have even been linked with my first few clients. I also met with Bobby Joe from Pennsylvania CareerLink Lancaster County and got to see how the process works. I can understand how some people may not get through the process easily—it is confusing! I felt like I had to ask her at least seven or eight times if I was writing down the right sequence, and I still feel like I am going to be just as confused and unsure as the women I am supposed to be helping on Monday. The resources and system they have there is amazing, and confusing simply because it is so complex and intricate, but it really is one-stop shopping for getting a job. One of the things that really surprised me about the whole system was the WIN assessment (the test used to measure how much knowledge a person has entering the program). A person needs at least a level 4 to be considered ready for employment; foolish thinking on my part I guess, but I assumed the first four levels would have really basic, straight forward questions. I took the test, and actually failed at level five for the math section (I forgot that a formula sheet was available, and had no idea how many gallons were needed for a 9 liter bottle!). I am really interested to see how people do on this assessment in general, because I can imagine it being extremely frustrating for someone who has not taken a math course or done any math for several years.

Monday I start with my first group of clients. Katie is my first client to meet and help through the program, and I also think she will be the most difficult/interesting. She is 24, has four children (aged 10, 7, 3 and 2), no education beyond 11th grade, no GED, a felony, and is mandated by the courts to participate in Welfare to Work program. Basically, if we can find her a job then CareerLink is really doing something right! My second client actually sounds like the complete opposite; Heidi has a job at a theater and is looking for a job that will actually make her some money. She has training as a medical assistant, and is extremely enthusiastic about finding a job, making some money, and getting readjusted on her own. I am really excited to meet both of these women, and even more excited to see how this entire process is going to go.