The Village of Hope is a back-to-work transitional housing program, committed to helping homeless individuals and families become self-sufficient.
When homeless individuals enter the program, they are assigned a case manager, living quarters, and an on-site work team, such as landscaping, reception, or janitorial. Daily routines and responsibilities create an environment which emphasizes clients’ potential and abilities rather than their barriers. Clients develop self-worth, work habits, and take pride in their relationships with their work team and staff members. Work responsibilities can change as clients advance in their program.
Roughly a year into their program, clients attend a five-day-intensive jobs workshop at the Sunwest Bank Success Center, an on-site job readiness center. The workshop covers topics such as work skills, resume creation, interviewing, and personal presentation. Graduates from the 5-day intensive workshop have a 96% success rate in finding employment – immediately after completing the workshop, contacting and pursuing full-time employment becomes their top priority. There are 6 job readiness workshops are provided annually (48 participants in 2014).
The services of the Sunwest Bank Success Center include:
- Career Intake and assessment;
- Career Exploration and Consultation;
- Educational Planning;
- Enrollment into an Educational Program;
- Job Readiness Class and Consultation;
- Employment Placement/Job Acquisition;
- Employment Support Consultations; and,
- Budget Consultations.
