February 3, 2010

Grant-funded program repairing lives

By John Gleason

When the economy goes into recession, companies downsize, employees can lose their jobs or experience a reduction in hours, and to those looking for work, competition for a job is increased.

For the person who loses his or her job, the situation is sometimes magnified when they also lose their home.  Many of these people find assistance in local shelters where, hopefully, they get a chance to get back on their feet again.

Such a scenario is now playing out with a high rate of success at Catholic Charities Samaritan House in Denver.  The downtown shelter, which has served thousands of homeless during its 24-year existence, has a program that helps men and women find work. 

The program is run through a collaboration between Samaritan House and Bayaud Enterprises, a local vocational and commercial services agency that helps people who are down on their luck to overcome barriers and return to mainstream life.  Bayaud and Samaritan House have partnered for nine years to help those who show up at the shelter’s door with the opportunity to get back into the workforce. Gregg Milius, director of the Employment Resource Center at Samaritan House, said the recent addition of $400,000 in stimulus grant money from the federal government is an incentive to employers to try out new employees for free.

“It comes at a perfect time,” he said. “In this economy, helping the residents get back into the workforce has been like pushing water uphill. But since the program got underway in October, a dozen people have gone back to work.  We hope that the success of the project will allow us to continue it into the future.”

Samaritan House residents who wish to participate in the program ask to get on an employment list.  Companies looking for workers contact Samaritan House, which in turn gets names of candidates off the shelter’s jobseekers list.  Those hired begin on a three-month probationary status, putting in 32 hours a week at $10 an hour.  The new employee’s wages are paid through grant money. Samaritan House does all the paperwork for the new hires, taking out state and federal taxes as well as FICA payments.  The employee, who pays no rent to Samaritan House, has the opportunity to save money to eventually lease an apartment and the employer gets several months to evaluate a person who could eventually become a permanent employee of that company. When the person’s probationary status is up, if they are hired permanently the employer then begins paying the employee’s wages themselves.

Half of the Samaritan House residents in the program have been placed with Omni Pro, a local provider of janitorial and other services to dozens of businesses around the greater metro area including hotels, restaurants, car dealerships and athletic clubs.  The company services more than 3 million square feet a night and employs more than 50 people.  But increased demand for their services caused Omni Pro to turn to Bayaud Enterprises. 

“Our company has been tremendously blessed,” said Frances Eide, Omni Pro spokeswoman. “When we had the chance to hire more employees we wanted to look for people who may have had difficulty finding work.  That brought us to Samaritan House.”

Eide said that all the residents now employed by Omni Pro have been first-rate.

“Everyone is enthusiastic,” she said. “They accept challenges and want to learn as much as they can.  It’s created positive feelings all the way around.”

For the out-of-work homeless employee, the joy of landing a job offers new hope and restored dignity. Michael Hillary, Samaritan House resident and one of six employees Omni Pro hired through the program, said the joy of getting a job was indescribable.

“I’m working and saving money,” Hillary said. “Soon I’ll be able to get a place of my own.  I feel great.”

A native of Washington, D.C., Hillary, 44, moved to Colorado 12 years ago. Laboring primarily in the janitorial industry, last year he was working construction jobs and driving a forklift when his life took a tumble.  The firm he was working for experienced cutbacks and Hillary lost both his job and his home.  Arriving to Samaritan House he continued to seek employment but it wasn’t until the stimulus grant funding came along that he got a job. 
“Right now I work nights doing janitorial cleaning in hotels, kitchens, bakeries or whatever they need,” he said. “This frees up my (days) so I can actually go back to school.”

Hillary said he plans to enroll in college and study business administration. 

 “Who knows,” he added, “I could end up as a supervisor with Omni Pro.”

Samaritan House Vice President Geoff Bennett said the program’s success is hugely satisfying.

“The program helps people get back on their feet and helps the employers financially—everyone succeeds,” he said.
Hillary said he hopes the program will continue.

“This is the hand that’s helped me up,” he said.  “I’ve got a job, soon a place to stay and room to grow.  I hope others get the same opportunity.”