Community Spotlight
Employment/Engagement Center Plans Underway
Thanks to a generous grant from the Daughters of Charity Northeast Province, work will soon begin to create a Community Employment and Engagement Center (CEEC) at Depaul House. Rugs will be ripped up, walls will be painted, and computers will be installed, creating welcoming spaces for residents, graduates and the community. The CEEC will consist of a computer lab, education/meeting center, and exhibition gallery.
Residents and graduates will use the computer lab to develop skills, produce resumes, search for employment, apply for jobs, study, and remain in contact with family and friends.
The education/meeting center will be the locus of job skills seminars and classes as well as a place for community group meetings. The CEEC will provide space for Depaul USA's on-going education programs and workshops in leadership, finances, creative writing and photography.
The exhibition space will provide a venue to display artwork created by residents, community members and staff, and a gallery to be enjoyed by visitors and the Depaul community.
Depaul USA helps residents and graduates overcome the isolation that comes with being homeless by providing opportunities for employment, education, and engagement with the larger Philadelphia community. The CEEC will further enhance Depaul House's ability to achieve its objectives which are to:
· Provide a welcoming environment to residents, giving them respect and dignity
· Provide intensive case management and service planning
· Address the health and emotional needs of residents
· Provide supportive services that enhance each resident's ability to function in the community
· Engage residents in the job market and encourage their progression to sustainable employment that maintains self-sufficiency
We will keep you updated on the progress of the CEEC. Stay tuned!
Support and Determination - A Winning Combination
Frank has been a resident of Depaul House since October 2010. He had a long career in boxing and has difficulty reading. Frank is also a very affable gentleman who takes pride in the work that he does and is
unwilling to settle for just any job.
Since coming to Depaul House, Frank has studied with Beth, the Adult Education instructor, to improve his reading skills every week. He had been hired for two different jobs, but subsequently lost them due to lack of support from the employers. Understandably, Frank started to get desperate. He then started working intensively with Lynn, the Employment Specialist, in order to improve his resume and job search skills.
Lynn learned about an interview opportunity for a job that sounded like a good fit for Frank. Lynn offered to drive Frank to the job interview in New Jersey which would have taken him close to two hours if he had taken public transportation.
With Lynn's support, Frank was offered the job to clean a spa in the Rittenhouse Square section of Philadelphia. Lynn supervised Frank for his first four days on the job to ensure he felt comfortable in his new role.
On Frank's first day working alone, he returned home to tell the night staff at Depaul House that he knew he would be successful because he had so many people who believed in him. This is due to his dependability, hard work and determination.
Frank is now working six days a week and enjoys what he is doing. He has been exploring different neighborhoods in anticipation of a move to an apartment of his own in a month's time. Frank is also keeping his eyes out for new employment opportunities so that he can continue to grow.
