Residents at Mather Community Campus can participate in job fairs, equipping them with the skills, presentation and confidence to successfully re-enter the workforce. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - Mather Community Campus (MCC) is home to hundreds of adults, families and transitional aged youth in shelter and transitional housing who are experiencing homelessness. With a variety of programs and services designed to address barriers to exiting homelessness, the participants living at Mather Community Campus are offered the resources they need to knock down each barrier they face.

One of those barriers is employment.

Job readiness is more than just finding employment opportunities and submitting applications. Job readiness means looking good, feeling confident and understanding how to navigate the complicated nature of resumes, interviews and call-backs. Job readiness means being document ready, finding transportation and setting up an email address.

Look good, feel good. Haircuts, business attire, shoes that fit and clothes that are clean, taking a shower, brushing teeth and hair; these are tangibles that housed people, even those who are job hunting, take for granted.

Do you remember applying for your first job? You had no work history, no experience except maybe those neighbor kids you babysat that summer when you were 15, you weren’t sure who was hiring teenagers, you didn’t have a car; it made it a little bit more difficult, didn’t it?

Now imagine being an adult, perhaps in your 40s or 50s, without a permanent address, living out of a backpack. You have no consistent access to a shower, to regular grooming opportunities, you have a massive gap in your work history, no reliable transportation, no access to a computer to build a resume or search for work … feels impossible. Frankly, how can you worry about finding a job when you don’t even know if you’ll be safe while sleeping that night?

The stability and safety of living in a shelter affords residents the breathing space they need to thrive; access to a bathroom and shower, three meals a day, laundry service, a door that locks. Only after folks’ basic needs are met can they truly focus on the next step, which is building income.

“People feel unprepared to re-enter the workforce after they’ve been out for years. They aren’t confident in their skills or presentation,” said Shelby Greenhill, employment developer for Next Move Homeless Services. “Once here, once they are secure and safe in shelter, we can work with them to get ready, to feel confident. This helps takes the pressure off them doing it all by themselves.”

What Mather Community Campus and its operator Next Move Homeless Services provides to its clients is truly intangible. Help. Access. Accountability. Resources. The campus not only houses the Employment Program but the Job Readiness Fair pulls together a variety of resources and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to equip job seekers with everything they need to start their job hunt.

You cannot get a job without an ID, a social security card and address. Next Move helps clients get critical documents like birth certificates, I.D.s and social security cards and open bank accounts.

Beyond access to the computer lab on campus, staff provide guidance and suggestions on how to build a resume and how to leverage past work history to build out the skills and experience needed for job applications.

Having access to a computer allows job applicants to easily search for open positions, apply and set up email addresses to maintain consistent communication channels with hiring agencies.

For many, access to job training is cost prohibitive. But through partnerships with Community Based Organizations and local businesses, Mather Community Campus residents can get the critical training they need to get job ready.

How nervous were you before you went into your first job interview? Job readiness puts potential applicants through mock interviews, not only helping to calm their nerves but equipping them with the responses and confidence needed to impress potential employers.

The stigma of being homeless is one of the highest barriers to people finding employment. Not having reliable transportation or the funds to bring or buy lunch, being self-conscience because your clothes don’t fit or might not be newly laundered. But having connections to unhoused-friendly employers helps to ease the transition back into the workforce.

The clothing closet is one of the most used resources of the job readiness fair – providing professional clothing, shoes, coats, belts and more.

“There are so many resources here,” said Charlotte, who has been a resident of Mather Community Campus for seven months. “They’re helping me repair my credit. I realized I got too comfortable but I am ready to improve my life. I have a background in healthcare. They helped me build a resume and apply for jobs at Board and Care homes.”

The first Job Readiness Fair hosted by Next Move at Mather Community Campus included vendors from the Sacramento County Personnel Department, Sacramento Libraries, Goodwill Industries, Francis House Center, CA Health Collaborative, Sacramento Employment and Training Agency (SETA), Folsom Cordova Adult School, Credit Help and more. Besides the clothing closet, Next Move offered toiletry kits, lunch coolers and interview kits to go.

Charolette said, “Having a job isn’t just about income. It is about confidence and a sense of self-worth. It is about contributing to the community and building a future you can be proud of. This job readiness fair is a godsend.”