The Latest in Jobs for the Homeless
| By Unknown user - Jan 8, 2009 2:18:05 PM ET |
There are a few great things happening for 2-1-1 On the Go! clients these days. We're still pushing for restaurant jobs, and we've made a few new friends at different establishments in the city - one of which turned into a full-time job for one of our clients, and the potential for more. In addition, we've added a new community partner, Saint Aloysius Church. They run a coffee shop called The Canticle Café. It's run by volunteers, many of whom are homeless, and on top of that, they serve you for free. They've agreed to take on a steady two or three 2-1-1 OTG! clients at a time to train in duties such as barista, bussing, janitorial, and possibly some light administrative work. This will serve not only as an opportunity for our clients to gain experience in different kinds of work, but also as an opportunity for St. Al's to monitor them for us to determine their reliability so we can feel fully confident about referring them to employers. Last but not least, we've been meeting with the people over at Goodwill and they are on board for opening the door wider for 2-1-1 OTG! clients to have access to their resources, training, and best of all, jobs.
In regards to Detroit restaurants, Nick and I are pretty excited about Angelina's Italian Bistro. Having just recently opened, it's already gaining a reputation for having great Italian food at a reasonable price. The food is incredible, the atmosphere is welcoming, and though it is kind of fancy, it's still very accessible. I've eaten there twice now, and the thing I've noticed both times is that the staff is very friendly, and the owner, Tom Augusta can usually be found near the door, waiting to welcome customers as they come in, and to say goodbye as they leave. I love that - leaders of any kind that are willing to get their hands dirty in the nitty gritty work of their establishments. When Nick and I approached Tom about our program, he told us about how he had already hired a couple of homeless guys and was willing to take on more as positions opened up. The next day, we got a call from Tom offering us a full-time dishwashing and maintenance job for one of our clients. Corey, and Nuganda, a couple of 2-1-1 On the Go! clients went in for an interview, and though there was only room for one of them, Tom assured Nuganda that when another position opened up, he would call him. So we're excited about that.
As for the Canticle Café, Nick and I really stand behind their vision. When we met with St. Al's outreach director, Mike Carsten, he explained to us the concept of the Canticle Café being an effort to bridge the gap between the social classes. He wanted the average businessman on his way to his corporate job to be able to get his coffee from the homeless person trying to get her life back together. There doesn't always need to be this sense of charity in the air. People are just people, whether you're the Mayor of the city or the person sleeping on the street. We love that drive to level the field, and are happy to be working with St. Al's in giving them 2-1-1 OTG! clients to work at the café on a volunteer basis, and learn valuable skills that will then translate into a job for them.
Finally, as many of you know, Goodwill runs the Clean Downtown program; those green and white trucks you see driving around the city whose crew members keep the downtown area looking good. Last year they hired several of our clients to work full-time, which was great. This year they have committed to employing significantly more 2-1-1 OTG! clients as well as working to make sure those people find opportunities to move from Clean Downtown - which is transitional employment - into something more permanent. We're also discussing how we can work together on more on the delivery of services around removing barriers our clients are facing.
So those are some things happening lately. If you get a chance, grab lunch at Angelina's off Broadway in Grand Circus Park, and while you're at it, stop by the Canticle Café off Washington behind Capitol Park and ask how you can help support them. I know they are in need of help purchasing food to keep their business going as well as donations of all kinds. As always, we're looking for more connections to downtown restaurants or other jobs. If you have any, or know people who have connections, let us know.
In regards to Detroit restaurants, Nick and I are pretty excited about Angelina's Italian Bistro. Having just recently opened, it's already gaining a reputation for having great Italian food at a reasonable price. The food is incredible, the atmosphere is welcoming, and though it is kind of fancy, it's still very accessible. I've eaten there twice now, and the thing I've noticed both times is that the staff is very friendly, and the owner, Tom Augusta can usually be found near the door, waiting to welcome customers as they come in, and to say goodbye as they leave. I love that - leaders of any kind that are willing to get their hands dirty in the nitty gritty work of their establishments. When Nick and I approached Tom about our program, he told us about how he had already hired a couple of homeless guys and was willing to take on more as positions opened up. The next day, we got a call from Tom offering us a full-time dishwashing and maintenance job for one of our clients. Corey, and Nuganda, a couple of 2-1-1 On the Go! clients went in for an interview, and though there was only room for one of them, Tom assured Nuganda that when another position opened up, he would call him. So we're excited about that.
As for the Canticle Café, Nick and I really stand behind their vision. When we met with St. Al's outreach director, Mike Carsten, he explained to us the concept of the Canticle Café being an effort to bridge the gap between the social classes. He wanted the average businessman on his way to his corporate job to be able to get his coffee from the homeless person trying to get her life back together. There doesn't always need to be this sense of charity in the air. People are just people, whether you're the Mayor of the city or the person sleeping on the street. We love that drive to level the field, and are happy to be working with St. Al's in giving them 2-1-1 OTG! clients to work at the café on a volunteer basis, and learn valuable skills that will then translate into a job for them.
Finally, as many of you know, Goodwill runs the Clean Downtown program; those green and white trucks you see driving around the city whose crew members keep the downtown area looking good. Last year they hired several of our clients to work full-time, which was great. This year they have committed to employing significantly more 2-1-1 OTG! clients as well as working to make sure those people find opportunities to move from Clean Downtown - which is transitional employment - into something more permanent. We're also discussing how we can work together on more on the delivery of services around removing barriers our clients are facing.
So those are some things happening lately. If you get a chance, grab lunch at Angelina's off Broadway in Grand Circus Park, and while you're at it, stop by the Canticle Café off Washington behind Capitol Park and ask how you can help support them. I know they are in need of help purchasing food to keep their business going as well as donations of all kinds. As always, we're looking for more connections to downtown restaurants or other jobs. If you have any, or know people who have connections, let us know.
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