Tag: Cabell-Huntington Coalition for Homeless

Jobs First Program Helps Huntington’s Homeless

Officials at the Cabell-Huntington Coalition for the Homeless are taking a new approach to the problem of homelessness and unemployment.

  Jobs First is a new idea developed by coalitions around the country. Instead of working with job candidates by training, developing and molding them before they apply for jobs, Jobs First helps them find jobs right away and continues to train them while they’re employed.

Helping the unemployed and homeless find work first puts them one step closer to a stable living environment where they can provide for themselves.

The Huntington Coalition started the program last July with a goal of helping 10% of Huntington’s homeless gain employment in a year.

The Coalition offers help ranging from:

  • Finding the proper clothing
  • Getting to and from the new job
  • Keeping that job.

So far the program has helped find jobs in:

  • Telemarketing
  • Fast food
  • Office work
  • River barges.

The program has placed 30 people in jobs and as word-of-mouth has grown throughout the homeless community the pace has picked up recently, with nine people finding jobs in January. 

Homeless Coalition Welcomes Donation of Heating-Air Units

Some residents in apartments at the Cabell-Huntington Coalition for the Homeless got an early Christmas present this week.

Nine of the 54 efficiency style apartments at the Vanity Fair space at the Coalition received heating and air units this week. The units that were picked were ones with heating and air units that currently have to be held together with a mix of different parts.

The units came from Honeywell, a corporation specializing in technologies that include heating and air conditioning units. Bob Hansen is Executive Director of the homeless coalition.

“This complex was built and renovated in 1992 and just maintaining it through the years has been difficult,” Hansen said.

“We’re a small non-profit so we’re living day-to-day so this is just a big boost for us because the people that live here deserve the best living conditions and that’s what we’re striving for.”

Volunteers from Honeywell from all over the region came together to put in the 9 units. They installed the new single heating and air units in each of the 9 residents that were deemed to be the worst at the facility.

Alexis Jewell is a resident at the facility.

“My air conditioner and heater has not been working, so I have had cold air in the winter and hot air in the summer, so it’s greatly appreciate,” Jewell said.

“It is very nice because I’m from South Mississippi so it’s always colder than what I’m use to.”

Hansen said the nine apartments were in desperate need of new units.

“What we’ve been doing is just maintaining our old units, really they’re very inefficient, what we’ve been doing is kind of taking units apart and moving parts and trying to keep things going, kind of like using band aids to keep everything functional,” Hansen said.

Hansen said it’s important to provide a caring atmosphere year-round, not just around the holidays. 

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