Capital Region Cares Capital Region Cares 2018-2019 | Page 73

proaches key topics, such as how to keep accurate logs,
greet an employer, ask for a job, make a master applica-
tion, write follow-up thank you notes, stay hygienic un-
der trying circumstances and present oneself to future
employers. The Clubhouse program focuses on adults
with mental health challenges and those who have expe-
rienced chronic homelessness. Women enter The Club-
house having survived domestic violence and childhood
abuse, and many of them are single moms.
The program started using the kit in September 2018,
and Ernst says the organization is already seeing a ripple
effect. “The women have said the exercises remind them
they have skills beyond those gained at the workplace.
They have said that the way the kit is organized makes
them feel all aspects of getting a paid or unpaid position
in the community are covered, which in turn makes them
feel more confident about going into the community to
get said employment.”
Volunteers of America Veterans Services taps The Get
a Job Kit for its organization. “We help them with resume
building. We help them with dressing for success. We
help them with online job searches … [and] to determine
their skill sets,” says Julie Baumgartner, the employment
and training manager. “Using The Get a Job Kit helps us
to keep a structure because they have different phases.
Keeping everything organized one step at a time is very
useful.”
VOA places about 90 percent of the women it works
with into employment, says Baumgartner, primarily in
roles in administration, home health, management, hos-
pitality and customer service. “Once we place them into
employment, we don’t just let them go,” she says. “We
stay with them for job retention for up to one year.”
It has been two years since Openshaw graduated from
the Women’s Empowerment program. She now works at
least one job, sometimes two, while earning an associ-
ate degree from Sacramento City College. She says the
program “gave me the confidence to seek employment
where I am respected and feel valued. I get to live out my
dream.” She is seeking a career in which she can help oth-
ers achieve theirs. She hopes to transfer to San Francisco
State University and get an administrative justice and so-
ciology degree. Her goal is to become a school counselor
to help at-risk youth and adults in the corrections system,
guiding them to opportunities through education.
“I want to help people of all age groups,” Openshaw
says, “but especially those who deal with hardships.” n
Lillie Apostolos lives in Sacramento, where she writes
about fresh produce, arts, culture and the local economy.
She enjoys hiking the Sierra Nevada, reading and amateur
gardening. Follow her @LillieApostolos.
THE JESSUP IMPACT
CHURCH PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
ANNUALLY BENEFITS OVER
125 CHURCHES
WITH YOUTH-AWARDED GRANTS
AND SCHOLARSHIPS
82%
OF STUDENTS
ATTEND OR SERVE
OVER 500 LOCAL CHURCHES
STUDENTS INVEST MORE THAN
30,000 HOURS
OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP
EACH YEAR
“ Training Christians who serve! ”
- John Jackson, Ph.D. | University President
R O C K L I N & S A N J O S E | J E S S U P. E D U | (8 4 4) J E S S U P - U

comstocksmag.com | 2018-19 CAPITAL REGION CARES
73