St. Joseph the Worker

St. Joseph the Worker is a nonprofit organization doing business in the Greater Phoenix area. I posed ten questions to a representative of St. Joseph the Worker in an effort to familiarize Phoenix area residents with the organization. Here are the responses I received.

What is the name of the organization?

St. Joseph the Worker

How long has the organization been operating in the Phoenix area?

Founded as a 501c3 in 1988

Does the organization serve a particular geographic area?

Maricopa County

Who is most likely to benefit from services provided by the organization?

Motivated homeless, low-income and other disadvantaged individuals who are work ready but don't have the resources to secure employment. The entire community benefits as we work to end homelessness through quality employment and connect businesses with qualified workers.

Are there requirements or prerequisites for people to access your services?

Individuals must have an ID and social security card, the must have or be worker to get shelter of some kind, and they must have been sober for 30 days. Individuals must also be motivated and work ready. Clients are required to fill out an application, attend an interview with our job developers, and attend our Job Readiness Workshop. If they complete all three requirements, they are considered job ready and they may utilize the services we provide.

Three things about St. Joseph the Worker that people might not know.

1. For over twenty years, St. Joseph the Worker (SJW) has been helping to eliminate obstacles that many motivated homeless and low-income individuals face when seeking employment. SJW offers a spectrum of services, including: one-on-one attention from a professional job developer to identify clients’ barriers to employment and create individual job-search strategies, telephone/fax/Internet access, mailing address, bus tickets, résumé development, professional clothing, hygiene products and haircut referrals, work boots/tools and any other resources necessary to secure employment. SJW also provides job listings and leads to employers that are willing to hire previously incarcerated individuals or those with an unstable employment history, mock interviews to simulate the experience of an actual interview and practice answering tough questions about a previous conviction or large gap in employment. SJW teaches a Job Readiness Workshop which covers issues job-seekers encounter, as well as a job-readiness class taught at Maricopa County detention facilities for soon-to-be released inmates.
2. On any given day in Maricopa County, there may be as many as 14,000 homeless people living in shelters, cars, unsafe buildings, or on the streets according to the Arizona Department of Economic Security. A significant portion of Maricopa County residents are living in poverty; 14% or 881,000 according to the 2007 U.S. Census, and face the severe possibility of becoming homeless. 35% of the homeless population is employable according to the Maricopa Association of Government survey. St. Joseph the Worker is located on the Human Services Campus in downtown Phoenix. The campus was built 5 years ago and is a unique collaboration of faith based, non-profit, government, private, and community organizations that have come together in what is now a national model. By combining their efforts, they are now better able to serve a truly vulnerable community who all too often remain hidden in our society and whose chronic needs are often unmet. Together, we are working to end homelessness.
3. SJW helps individuals return to the workforce and become self-sufficient, productive members of society. During fiscal year 2009/2010, SJW and our clients achieved the following successes:
   -342 homeless and low-income individuals secured full-time, sustainable employment.
   -$9.38 an hour was the average starting pay rate for these individuals.
   -25% of the jobs secured offered benefits.
   -705 individuals received comprehensive assistance, including one-on-one job search assistance, job-readiness resources and referrals, as well as encouragement and support to pursue a self-sufficient lifestyle.
   -Additionally, 585 incarcerated individuals were taught job-search strategies and job-readiness to help them avoid homelessness or re-incarceration after their release.
   -Volunteers dedicated 1,808 hours of direct service to help our hardworking clients in their search for quality employment.

What is the local address?

1125 W. Jackson St.
PO Box 13503
Phoenix, AZ 85002

What is the local phone number?

602-417-9854

What is the URL of the local web site?

www.sjwjobs.org

Any other comments?

Find out how you can make a difference in someones life and in the fight to end homelessness by visiting our website.

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