A partnership between the UHC - Hub of Opportunities and the Soup Shack to empower workforce locally was very efficient and well-attended.
The two organizations offered employment support services - free of charge - to help individuals who may be struggling to find meaningful work.
The first of this event ran on Tuesday evening where UHC caseworkers and job developers were on-site to offer support such as resume and cover letter assistance, interview preparation, job search strategies, career planning, among more.
This is the first time UHC is assisting with this type of partnership - bringing enhanced service and care to local residents who may be struggling with homelessness, financial difficulties, mental health, drug use, or other challenges.
Bobby Reaume, Executive Director of the Soup Shack, says he hears daily from individuals who visit the Soup Shack that they want a job.
"I get asked about 'can you help me with a resume? Can you find me a job? Do you know anybody hiring? I'll do anything, I'll clean garbage, I'll wash windows, I'll cut grass, whatever it is'. It seems like they're eager to work, they just don't get the opportunity to with the circumstances where they're living, or living in a car, or whatever it may be."
Reaume says this will be a big boost in morale.
"It'll boost their confidence, right, because they're stuck. People close doors on them, they come in with a resume, they throw it in the garbage, that's what I've been hearing right. So, giving them a little bit of confidence, give them a little bit of self-esteem, and give them purpose again, and that's the main thing."
Brandy Pyne, Manager of Integrated Employment Services with UHC - Hub of Opportunities, says a number of options will be available.
"We're going to introduce our employment services which include helping folks find work, we can do subsidized placements with employers who are willing to train on the job. We have employment related expense monies that are available for folks who need things like work boots, or re-training for a certificate like a security license or something like that."
Pyne says event if they only help one person - that's a success.
"If we can reach out to a few people that engage with us, we do a registration with them, and we can move them into our services where they're matched with an employment caseworker and we can help start bridging those gaps, we do a lot of housing referrals, we do a lot of referrals to our Keep the Heat program for energy assistance."
Reaume adds that they're hoping to hold these employment sessions monthly with the possibility of making them more frequent depending on how many individuals attend each session.
Since mid-May, the Soup Shack is serving between 170 to 200 people daily.
The Soup Shack is located at 636 Goyeau Street and is open seven days a week, 365 days a year.