Over the past 3 months, I have been in Central Florida meeting with organizations that want to collaborate more deeply or begin new partnerships with Jobs for Life. It felt like coming home for me since I first encountered Jobs for Life while serving with Heart for Winter Haven. Now, they have expanded from just a JFL site to a Jobs for Life Community Network. During my meetings with Young Lives, Young Life, and Shepherd’s Village in Tampa, I was reminded that at our core, we are all about collaboration. We will now be partnering with these three organizations for JfL for Parenting Youth, allowing us to focus on a demographic we have never specifically worked with before.

Historically, we have seen success with many of our partners across the country. Recently Raleigh Rescue Mission announced that 229 clients completed Jobs for Life and found jobs through their Life Plan program (see post here). Orange County United (occunited.org) in California serves 4 homeless shelters and has had over 100 graduates in Jobs for Life. Hundreds of others have collaborated with us to change lives in their local community such as: Georgia Center of Opportunity in Columbus, GA which has birthed multiple JfL sites in Columbus; Forward Training Center in Granbury, TX which serves young people with Powered for Lives in local schools, Downtown Ministries in Goshen, IN serves both youth and adults, that has an impact not only the students live but the volunteers (see testimonies here).

This continues to be the cornerstone of Jobs for Life as we expand our collaboration with businesses for Jobs for Life for business and with youth-focused ministries in and outside the church through Powered for Life.

There is still time to participate in our Match Gift Campaign. The work of Jobs for Life continues only through the generous gifts of our donors and friends. This is a crucial time in our ministry and we need your support this summer.

SPANISH JOBS FOR LIFE

One of our new partners is bringing our Spanish Jobs for Life into their local prison which has a large Spanish-speaking population. For them and others who work with this population, our JfL in Spanish creates an opportunity to minister to them in their language. To learn more about obtaining JfL in Spanish, please email training@jobsforlife.org.