Mercy Ministry Training at Highlands Presbyterian

This Saturday, March 28th, Hope will be holding a Mercy Ministry Training at Highlands Presbyterian Church in LaFayette, GA from 9 am to 12 pm. Topics of discussion will include the History of Poverty, Holistic Development, and Ways to Do Harm, among others.
If you are interested in having Hope come to your church, please contact Heather Wilson at heather.hope4nwga@gmail.com.

Jobs for Life Graduation Celebration

Congratulations to our Jobs for Life Graduates! The picture above was taken this past tuesday, when our Jobs for Life class concluded its final session. Graduates of the program have been putting the training into practice even before graduation. One graduate began new employment one month prior to the class finishing. Another participant is planning to attend nursing school, beginning preliminary requirements this summer. Even as early as this May, one participant is going back to school for higher education.

We are very excited to see our JfL participants putting their new found "soft skills" into practice. Each will receive a certificate of graduation as well as the benefit of adding this class to their resume.

Hope plans to begin a new Jobs for Life class at Chattanooga Valley Presbyterian Church in Fall of 2009.

Clothing Give-away

Hope will be hosting their second clothing give-away on February 25 & 26 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. All items are free. Please come and join us for this event at Chattanooga Valley Presbyterian Church at 3371 Chattanooga Valley Road in Flintstone, Georgia. For more information, call the church office at 706.820.2833.

Mercy Ministry Training

Hope for Northwest Georgia will be conducting a Mercy Ministry training course at Highlands Presbyterian Church in Lafayette, Georgia on March 28 and April 25. Topics of the course include Poverty, Mercy, and Community Outreach. Participants will learn how to help the needy and broken in their community in a way that brings glory to God and meaningful, lasting change into the lives of all who are involved.
If you are interested in having Hope come to your church for Mercy Ministry training, contact heather at 706.820.2833.

Clothing Give-Away

From January 14 - January 16th, Hope for Northwest Georgia is hosting a Clothing Give-Away from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Items include shoes and year-round apparel for Men, Women, and children of all ages. All items are in good to new condition.

If interested, please stop by the office or contact Heather.

Interview Closet

Our office in Chattanooga Valley, TN now has an interview closet for Hope participants looking for employment. We have office-friendly clothing for men and women, ranging in size and style, as well as a selection of dress shoes. Please contact us if interested in participating in one of Hope's programs or if you have a need for interview clothing. We are currently excepting donations.

Employment

Employed? You can sigh in relief. Maybe. Unemployed? You are not alone. In today's New York Times, there was an article entitled "Jobless Rates Rise to 6.7% as 533,000 Jobs Are Lost."
check it out.

As someone working in an area where the job market is more than depressed, I found this article extremely helpful, even though it had almost nothing but bad news that I already knew. With four students in our LaFayette Jobs for Life class, my eyes are always open for job advice and/or opportunity. Here are some key points I walked away with:

• Make your search broad. In the current market, one cannot afford to stick with the known and experienced. Take up a challenge with confidence.

• Apply, Apply, Apply. It can never hurt!

• The service industry is on massive decline. Stay away, if possible, as a potential job may turn into merely a several month stint until there are massive cutbacks. (see article)

• Look to the Education and Healthcare fields. In the current 12 month decline, these are the only two fields on the rise.

• Don't give up. Many have quit their search. Don't be one of them. Get help!