Summer job
brings hope to homeless youth Stimulus funds at work in the High
Country
Matthew Alexander doesn’t want to be homeless anymore,
and he is ready to do whatever it takes to change his situation.
Alexander has been homeless since he was 18 years old. Now 22,
he is still trying to get on his feet, but the economy made finding
a job seem hopeless.
Exhausted and frustrated, Alexander walked into the Watauga County
JobLink Career Center, hoping to find some type of employment
in Boone.
Career coaches with the High Country Workforce Development Board’s
GET R.E.A.L. (Resources, Employment, Advancement and Learning)
youth services enrolled him in N.C. Summer Jobs, a temporary summer
youth employment program for youth ages 16 to 24 funded by the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Excited about the opportunity, Alexander began his first day of
work at the Watauga County Library promptly at 9 a.m. the following
Monday.
“I’ve been homeless for awhile, but it’s a chance
for me to get back into life,” he said.
At the library he shelves books and assists patrons when they
need help looking for books.
“It’s not like any other job I’ve had in the past,”
he said. “It’s relaxing and low stress. I really enjoy
it.”
The goals behind N.C Summer Jobs are to give young workers with
employment challenges experience in a professional environment
and to teach them essential job readiness skills that will help
them move into long-term jobs when the summer program ends. Participants
work three days a week and attend classes one day a week.
Alexander and his other 12 classmates have attended workshops
on resume building, business plans and professional demeanor,
while also working toward earning their national career readiness
certificate. This certification verifies to employers a worker’s
essential core employability skills in reading, math and locating
information.
“It has taught me a lot about understanding what it takes
in life to succeed and keep a job,” Alexander said.
He says he is determined to keep his job at the library. Although,
he has no permanent place to sleep, Alexander shows up for work
every day on time, often using AppalCART for transportation.
“It’s something for me to look forward to in the morning,”
he said.
Evelyn Johnson and Judith Winecoff, staff members at the Watauga
County Library, are excited to have Alexander’s extra hands.
“The timing worked out perfect,” Winecoff said. “This
is one of our busiest seasons, so it’s nice to have a little
extra help. It’s nice having that youthful energy around,
so for us it’s a blessing.”
Alexander is one of two youth placed at the Watauga County Library,
one of nine N.C. Summer Jobs worksites in Watauga County. Managers
at the worksites are responsible for supervising the youth, but
are not responsible for paying them. Money for the summer workers’
paychecks comes from stimulus funds allocated through the Workforce
Investment Act.
“It’s a great opportunity for the workplace and the
youth,” Johnson said. “It gives them an opportunity
to get real-life experience, and we get free help. The only thing
we don’t like is they can only stay for eight weeks.”
Each youth participant makes $7.50 an hour. Work assignments are
six to eight weeks for 30 hours a week. Recovery Act funding in
the High Country will create an estimated 160 jobs for youth in
Ashe, Alleghany, Avery, Mitchell, Yancey, Wilkes and Watauga counties.
Even though his job is temporary, it is just what Alexander needs
to jumpstart a new life.
“It helps my mind focus on getting out of my situation,”
Alexander said. “If I wasn’t trying, I wouldn’t
have gotten this far, and I’m not giving up.”
For more information on N.C Summer Jobs, contact the Watauga County
JobLink Center at 828- 265-5385.
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