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What Goodwill is doing
Hurricane evacuees can seek shelter at the Red Cross Camp at the Austin Convention Center. The Central Texas chapter of the American Red Cross will provide each person a referral form that is redeemable for merchandise vouchers at any Central Texas Goodwill store. Vouchers can be used to purchase needed goods, and Goodwill will also include one free toy for each of their children.
GOODWILL AND WORKSOURCE HOST HIRING FAIR
More than 100 people found jobs on the spot at Monday’s Hiring Fair, hosted by Goodwill Industries of Central Texas (GICT) and WorkSource – Greater Austin Area Workforce Board. Organized to help the survivors of Hurricane Katrina now living in Austin, the Hiring Fair, held at the Austin Convention Center, featured 155 employers and was attended by at least 700 people. Jobs ranged from entry level to mid-level professional positions – everything from bus drivers to administrative personnel. In addition to the 102 individuals hired on-the-spot, 408 other individuals were offered jobs pending other testing.
The incredible response from employers pleased Courtney Weynand, Program Coordinator for Goodwill’s JobSource division. "We knew it wouldn’t be a job fair of the traditional sort," Weynand said. "The point of us being here is to help those in need."
Telisha Diaz, a New Orleans native who escaped the Hurricane with seven family members, attended the Hiring Fair and was thankful for the help finding a new job. Just starting her junior year in college at Southern University and finalizing plans for a Sept. 24 wedding in New Orleans, the hurricane wiped out Diaz’s home and separated her from her fiancé. But her spirits remained positive. “Everything happens for a reason,” she said. “I’m alive and well and my family is safe. I don’t have my job or my car, but I’m here in Texas now and I can start over.”
Diaz came to the event looking for clerical or administrative work and was impressed by the opportunities available at the fair. “This has been a great effort to help evacuees,” she said. “Lots of entities coming together to help so many people…it’s great.”
Jerry Davis, GICT’s President and CEO, said the Hiring Fair was a great way to showcase what Goodwill does best. "Our mission is to put people to work and that’s what we did here today,” he said.
The Hiring Fair will also provide evacuees more than just a paycheck according to Sally Foster, WorkSource’s Board Chair. “Finding a job will help our newest residents begin rebuilding their lives in the Greater Austin community.”
Greater Austin Area Workforce Board is one of the 28 workforce boards established by the Texas Legislature in 1995. The board is responsible for the strategic and operational planning, oversight
and evaluation of federal and state workforce programs in Travis County, including employment, training funds, child care and related support services.
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