In the News

Tour the New Offices of the BCHFS Lake County W.O.R.K. Program
Join us on Friday, April 30, 2010 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and tour the new offices of the Lake County W.O.R.K. Program operated by Berea Children’s Home and Family Services.

The open house will include a ribbon cutting and speaker series at 1:00 p.m. featuring Richard Frank, President and CEO, Berea Children’s Home and Family Services, Doug Nagy, Executive Director, Downtown Painesville Organization and Robert Dawson, Program Administrator, Lake County Job and Family Services as well as a testimonial from one of the W.O.R.K Program participants. Read more in the Lake County Gazette Newspaper.

The Lake County W.O.R.K. program opened its’ offices at 90 N. State Street in Painesville, Ohio on January 4, 2010. The program provides interactive classroom study where clients learn about themselves, their job-related skills, and how to present this information professionally in a resume and in an interview. The employment specialists engage their clients in classroom conversations about the current job market and the challenges faced, thereby helping to promote problem solving, a skill heavily desired by employers.

“The clients begin the program with their hopes rather low,” said Jinger Moore, Employment Specialist. “They have been through a lot of hardships and face more barriers than the average job seeker. When we first opened our doors, we made sure to be friendly and understanding of the clients. This had an immediate effect on their outlook. One client even said she was expecting us to be harsh and brutal, just like the job market, but that after the first intake session, she felt comfortable and excited to learn. At the end of the classroom portion of the program, it is a joy to witness the clients’ newfound confidence shine.”

Currently, the Lake County office has 25 active clients and 6 are already employed!

For more information about the Lake County W.O.R.K. Program operated by Berea Children’s Home and Family Services and the April 30, 2010 open house event, please contact Jennifer Dobrzeniecki at 440-260-6445 or jennifer.dobrzeniecki@bchfs.org.