Homeless Men Find Jobs at a Local Corporation
Stable income is key to maintaining independent, self-sufficient lives, but finding jobs for the homeless can be challenging since many homeless individuals have little to no work history, especially recently. More than just a homeless shelter, the Weignart Center has a multitude of homeless services including a workforce development department that prepares homeless men and women for employment through resume preparation assistance, teaching interviewing techniques and job search skills. Staff members and credentialed teachers, Sandy Velasquez and Richard Bellman, play vital roles in the Weingart Center’s workforce development strategy. Sandy teaches “Job club”, which covers resume creation, interview dynamics, dressing for success and verbal and non-verbal communication while Richard teaches customer service and Serve Safe classes. Good communication skills and developing rapport with others is invaluable for any position which is why our customer service training is a mandatory part of our participants’ preparation for finding employment.
The Weingart Center also has job developers who go out into the Los Angeles community looking for available employment opportunities as well as companies who are willing and eager to partner with our agency. When a company partners with the Weingart Center, they are assured that we bring them candidates that are prepared for work and know the value of maintaining employment. We pre-screen candidates to ensure the best fit for both the applicant and the employer.
One of our job developers, Andre Rodgers, recently organized and brought a great opportunity to our job-seeking participants here at the Weingart Center— onsite interviews with the human resources department of a local large corporation, which has several employment openings at its warehouse near downtown Los Angeles. John, one of our participants, was excited to have an interview for a job nearby after being out of work for two years because of a layoff.
Approximately 20 participants at the Weingart Center came to meet with the hiring human resources department. While candidates were waiting for their interviews, Andre further prepared them by giving them potential interview questions and tips for responding as well as emphasizing the importance of having a positive attitude. When their name was called, they were poised and ready, and they looked great too. The Weingart Center makes sure that candidates are dressed for success by providing interview-appropriate attire. We rarely receive business clothing donations for men however, even though we serve 70% men, so if you would like to make a donation, please call 213.627.5302. We need new and slightly used clothing, especially in larger sizes, and shoes.
After the interviews, the human resources coordinator raved about how well prepared and confident the Weingart Center participants were and said they were likely to hire most everyone who interviewed! We are excited for all of our participants!
