Dear volunteers… from Shelby Bell and Team of the THRIVE Program THRIVE volunteers are intentional, dedicated, and sacrificial. Stepping into a relationship with our young adults is not always easy, but you all have jumped with two feet into the messiness of life with us. Thank you for being willing to not just dedicate your […]
Bridge Building by Mike Carman When we began our Jobs for Life courses at a local shelter a few years ago, one of the first questions we heard was, “Are you guys really coming back?” When we assured them that we were and asked why they posed that question, they replied, “Because other groups have […]
WHO is your community? by Chris Baeza For me, the community has been the students at Biola University for the last four years. Interestingly enough, I got off-campus very little in order to participate in initiatives that help out my community. The word “community” means “a group of people living in the same place or […]
On Sunday, Aug 17th we partnered with Hope International to challenge their new incoming students to do a serve day together. The new students were all put into groups of 20 and were introduced to dorm life, the cafeteria, the campus and church on Sunday. After lunch, we had the joy of leading them into […]
“Never Giving Up” [ Millie’s Story ] Jobs for Life just graduated a set of new students a little over two weeks ago and we are so excited to see where our graduates end up. It has been exciting to walk through the program with these wonderful students and see them grow. A standout student […]
HOME(less) ALONE Blog by Mike Carman Finding a problem is usually pretty easy to do. Finding a solution can be more difficult. And carrying out that solution more difficult still. Recognizing homelessness as a problem in our communities is pretty simple these days. However, effective answers that benefit all parties are tougher to articulate, and […]
Coming into Jobs for Life I don’t think I had the clearest picture of what to expect. I knew it was a work force skills curriculum focused around biblical truth that met at a local shelter for two hours twice a week. I wasn’t too sure what my duties would entail as a champion but […]
I saw her this morning. Slowly walking through an empty parking lot, pushing a shopping cart filled with a wide-ranging combination of items that had seemingly little or no worth. Yelling at everyone – at someone – at no one. Her monologue was wholehearted, pleading, vulgar and absolute. All at the same time. As I […]
This is a question I ask myself as I interact with those experiencing homelessness. So many I encounter have been beaten down by the world and its adversity to the point of giving up. They see little or nothing to live for, no reason to try, no hope for their future. But when hope is […]
It sounds weird right? With a name like “Jobs for Life,” it’s obvious what we’re hoping to accomplish as we take our students through the powerful eight-week curriculum journey. We assume that after the classwork is complete our students will begin looking for employment, ready to put what they’ve learned into practice. Halfway through our […]