St. Joseph the Worker wins award for work in jail.
St. Joseph the Worker is thrilled to announce that our program in the County Jail (WIRC) has been chosen as the winner of Channel 8's Be More Awards, in the category of "Be More... Knowledgeable." Over 100 non-profits were considered in 8 categories. St. Joseph the Worker was featured in a prime-time half-hour television special on Channel 8 on Wednesday, June 18, 2008. Click below to see St. Joseph the Worker receive the award.
A special part of St. Joseph the Worker is our targeted outreach services to the incarcerated. As the public has recently learned from the Pew Center for the States study, incarceration rates have reached an all-time high. Pew noted these staggering statistics:*
1 in 100 adults are incarcerated in the United States, the highest rate in the world
Spending on corrections topped $49 billion in 2007, up from $12 billion twenty years ago
The highest rate by demographic is Black men ages 20-34, who are incarcerated at a rate of 1 in 9
There are over 2.3 million Americans behind bars, up from closer to 500,000 twenty years ago. We're incarcerating more people than China.
What St. Joseph the Worker is doing locally:
Through a collaboration with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, St. Joseph the Worker visits Maricopa County jails on a weekly basis to provide soon-to-be-released inmates with strategies and information on how to effectively find and maintain employment, including explaining a criminal history or large gap in employment. The agency also shares information on useful community resources individuals can access upon being released. This helps inmates move in the direction of self-sufficiency and supports their courage and determination not to return to jail.
A word from St. Joseph the Worker's Executive Director:
"People often take for granted the basic resources needed to find a job, such as a telephone, address, computer, clothing, tools and transportation. In addition to providing these types of tangible items, St. Joseph the Worker offers individuals the encouragement and consistent support needed to overcome the special challenge of securing employment with a criminal background.
"It is St. Joseph the Worker's experience that providing basic essentials, resources and strategies to previously incarcerated individuals will allow them to gain self-sufficiency and avoid reentering the correctional system. It benefits both the individuals and the community," says Executive Director, Amy Caffarello.
What can I do?
Awareness is the first step in addressing any problem, so you're on your way! Here are a few more ideas of ways to help St. Joseph the Worker continue to do this work:
May 1st - Celebrating the
Feast of St. Joseph the Worker
May 1st is the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and we’re celebrating! Thanks to the generosity of the students at Brophy College Preparatory and the employees of Early Warning Services, St. Joseph the Worker has collected over 700 apples and oranges to share with our hard-working clients in honor of the day. We are also providing clients with important information about their rights as workers.
What is the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker?
It is a day to reflect on how we use the gifts and talents we have been given to strengthen our community and society as a whole. Every act we do at work, no matter how small, is meaningful when we put our best effort into the task. This is also a time to remember our responsibility to protect the dignity of all workers.
Every worker has a right to fair employment, a livable wage, a safe workplace free from discrimination, affordable health care, a secure retirement and other social benefits that uphold human dignity. All workers also have the right to organize and bargain collectively to protect these rights.
When she heard about the need of homeless job-seekers for clothing to wear to interviews, an employee at Edward Jones Investments approached St. Joseph the Worker about putting on a professional clothing drive. No one could have guessed at the generosity of Edward Jones' employees and she ended up delivering 2 truckloads of donated clothing this spring!
Every year, on a Saturday in April, Boeing employees contribute their time and talents all over the Valley. This year, their timing couldn't have been better. Four volunteers came to St. Joseph the Worker, rolled up their sleeves and sorted the huge pile of clothing collected by Edward Jones' employees.
"I am extremely grateful to company groups that get involved in our program. With the help of the volunteers at Boeing and the employees that participated in the clothing drive at Edward Jones, we are able to better serve our clients, providing them with the very basic necessities for a successful job-search," says Blue Swadener, who is the volunteer coordinator at St. Joseph the Worker.
If your company or group is interested in volunteering or putting on a drive for needed items, please contact Blue at 602-417-9854 or bswadener@sjwjobs.org.
Send us your stories and photos
E-mail info@sjwjobs.org or call 602-417-9854 with stories, images or memorabilia from the history of St. Joseph the Worker
Thanks to Dale Merritt, CEO of Dot Ventures, for assisting us with this endeavour. To see Dale's blog, visit AA Sponsor Community.
Special thanks to client and gifted writer, Matt, for offering up regular items for the blog. To visit St. Joseph the Worker's new blog, vist: www.helpthehomelessaz.org
Please contact us if you would like to assist with "social marketing" in order to raise more awareness about homelessness and St. Joseph the Worker's program to assist individuals in obtaining employment: info@sjwobs.org
