Whether you donated to Cincinnati Works last month, last year or last decade, your contribution allowed us to connect with a Member and connect that Member to a stable, fulfilling job.
Many of those jobs are on the frontlines of the current economy. They are on assembly lines and in warehouses. In grocery stores, hospitals and restaurants. They are re-defining what it means to be essential.
Other Members unfortunately lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are facing familiar challenges with a new urgency.
Our coaches and staff are available for all of our Members, no matter their circumstances – and we have been as busy as ever, just in different ways. We are connecting with Members by phone, text, email, videochat and social media, and we are helping them deal with stress, depression, isolation, fear of illness, financial distress and more. We are connecting them to resources for homeschooling, childcare and unemployment.
During a recent six-week stretch, our coaches recorded 963 touches with 354 Members – compared to 965 touches with 429 Members during the same six-week stretch of 2019. Two stories illustrate the impact we are having, even in isolation:
- Terana, our Staffing Specialist, ran into a Member while at the store. The Member had recently been laid off and he wanted to apply for a job at Kroger, but he is not comfortable on a computer and he could not visit our office to complete the online application. Terana gave him her phone number, and when he called the next day, she walked him through the application process. He interviewed for a job the very next day and was hired on the spot.
- Lisa, who leads our financial coaching department, worked with a longtime Member to secure emergency funding from two sources – Hamilton County Job & Family Services and the Stand Together Foundation. The Member used that money on car repairs so she had a safe, reliable, fully insured vehicle to transport her five kids.
While coaches continue to work with Members, our Leadership Team is making plans to re-open our doors on a limited basis. We will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our staff and Members, so we are updating our traditional programs to account for social distancing and incorporate remote services.
We have 24 years of experience adapting to changes in the market. From our partnerships with other non-profits to our work on-site at local employers, we have shown we can and will meet our Members where they are.
Cincinnati Works will play a key role in re-opening our economy and getting people back to work, which is why we are aggressively fundraising right now. We have a goal of raising $100,000, which will replace some funding we lost (including City funding that was understandably re-routed to organizations providing emergency food and shelter) and ensure we are prepared for a wave of new Members.
If you have the means to donate to Cincinnati Works, we would appreciate it greatly. Click here to donate through our GoFundMe campaign. In the meantime, our staff would like to thank you for your past support: