Project Assist,
a program funded by the Community
Resilience and Recovery Initiative (CRRI), began providing a Job Club
for unemployed persons in the City of Fall River in April, 2011 at their
President Avenue headquarters. "The Club offers people both training
in job seeking skills as well as an important measure of social support to
help them through a difficult time," commented Project Assist case
manager Laura Washington. The group meets for several hours every Monday
morning and includes a mix of formal education and informal conversation.
Project Assist is funded by a $5.6 million, four-year
grant from SAMSHA, the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and provides counseling
and treatment services for residents affected by the bad economy. “The
program is designed to strengthen our community resources now, while we
are struggling with rising unemployment rates and poverty, so that we will
be better prepared for the economy of our future,” said Nancy Paull, CEO
of SSTAR. There are three major components of the program: 1) screening
for substance abuse or mental health problems, 2) projects to help access
and treat people affected by traumatic experiences, and 3) development of
projects that help fortify the larger community, such as community
gardening projects, drama and discussion, meditation or fitness classes,
community art/therapy projects, and healthy living groups. Click
here for photos of the screening process. For more information about
the program,
contact Paula Beaulieu at
508-837-6957.
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(Top row, left)
Katie Wright takes Job Club participants through the interview process.
(Top row, center) Club member Gayle Hubert describes some of her job
interview experiences. (Top row, right) Project Assist case manager Nancy
Jones offers some suggestions. (Middle row) Club members Gayle Hubert,
Veteran Ron Reed, Joan Souza and Terri Rioux share some laughs. (Bottom
row, right) Project Assist case manager Laura Washington shares some of
her own experiences in applying for work.
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