Q&A with Amber Gorman at BETTER WORK Columbus

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Dec 6, 2022

Q&A with Amber Gorman at BETTER WORK Columbus

Amber Gorman joined the BETTER WORK Columbus team in October, 2022 as a program specialist. We recently had a chance to sit down with her and hear more about her background, what brought her to BETTER WORK, and why she is passionate about helping people who are struggling find meaningful, self-supporting work.

Q: Please tell us a little about yourself.

I come from generational poverty. I grew up very poor. I also struggled with addiction for a couple of years, but I’m now five years clean, which is great. God brought me out of that and He has also brought me out of poverty through employment and networking. Now, I have social capital which I didn’t used to have. I also have a better view of myself now than I used to. I thought that was just my life and that it wasn’t ever going to get any better. Then I got tired of living like that and I was like, “I’m going to do something different.” And I did whatever it took. It was a lot of work.

I have a criminal background as well. Looking at me on paper, most people wouldn’t hire me, but they bring me in for an interview. Then, they hear my story and they’re like, “Oh, wow! I want to give you a chance.” I’ve never been not hired because of my background, which is great in the position that I’m currently in.

A lot of the candidates that I work with at BETTER WORK Columbus deal with a lot of what I’ve already been through and overcome, so I can take my life experiences and bring that to them and help them come through that. That’s kind of me in a nutshell. As far as work experience, I feel like I’ve done it all. I’ve done it all like resorts, chicken plants, textile mills, and retail. I’ve done it all.

Q: What brought you to BETTER WORK Columbus?

I’m not from Columbus. I’m actually from Northeast Georgia, a little bitty, small town in White County. My husband and I moved down here. There just weren’t a lot of opportunities up there and he had a network down here. So, about a year after we got married, we moved down here, and then I didn’t work for a while, and then I started going back to work. It was just kind of part-time, just to kind of get out of the house.

We got involved with Fountain City Church in Columbus. Pastor Grant Collins is amazing. We love him. Before we became members, I asked him, “What’s your ministry? Who do you partner with? How are you trying to reach the community?” He told me that Jobs for Life is what they partnered with. And at the time I wasn’t working and I was like, “Oh well, I don’t know if that’s something that I would be interested in because I don’t even have a job.”

That’s when I met Kristin Barker. She was holding a Jobs for Life luncheon for employer partners at the church. I didn’t know that’s what it was. My pastor asked me to help volunteer serving food, and so I went and I got to sit through the presentation and it touched me because we didn’t have that where I was from and I had to do all of it on my own — like build my own connections and make myself more marketable to employers.

So many people need that and it gives you such an advantage in the work market place. And so after that, I was like, “I have to be a part of this.” You know, I have to and so a little bit later, Pastor Grant comes back. He asked me, ” Hey, do you want to be a facilitator for Jobs for Life?” I was hesitant. I got all nervous and I was like, “I don’t know. I don’t know if I can do it”. He said that he thinks I’d be great and so I said yes.

Kristin and I worked closely together for 13 weeks. And then the job posting came up with BETTER WORK Columbus, and she was like, ” I think you should apply for it.” I was a little worried because I didn’t have a degree or this or that and there’s my criminal background but she knew all of that. She’s heard my story and she still encouraged me to apply. And I was like, ” You know what, if God wants me to have it, then I’ll have it. ” And so I did and I applied and went through the interview process, and here I am.

Q: What’s your role at BETTER WORK?

I’m the program specialist for BETTER WORK Columbus. I’m the point of contact for candidates and am working on becoming the point of contact for employers as well. When candidates put in their applications — whether it’s for employment, training, or mentorship — I speak with them. We kind of figure out what it is exactly that they need, and what’s going to be a good fit for them. I help pair them with resources in the community as well as job opportunities. Or, if they’re interested in mentoring or having a mentor, then I partner them with that mentor as well and kind of foster that relationship.

“What really touches my heart is being able to help those people who are maybe underemployed or have just been out of the workforce for a while or moms that are trying to come into the workforce and being able to connect with those opportunities.”

Q: What are some of your favorite aspects of BETTER WORK’s mission?

Our positive relationship with employers is my favorite part. In Columbus there are around 300 applicants for every open job. It’s a tough environment. But with BETTER WORK, we have those relationships so we can kind of help the candidates get a foot in the door. What we’re doing though is we’re targeting people who are in poverty.

We don’t turn anybody away. I have people who come to me with Bachelor’s Degrees that’s just relocated and it’s great to be able to help them to gain employment, too. But what really touches my heart is being able to help those people who are maybe underemployed or have just been out of the workforce for a while or moms that are trying to come into the workforce and being able to connect with those opportunities. A lot of them are on government programs. Eventually, the goal is to be self-sufficient and connect them with opportunities where they can work.

It’s not just a job. It’s something that’s supposed to be long-term where they can grow. They can learn more about themselves. They learn more about the workforce and they can move up in the industry. I love being able to give those opportunities to people that want them.

Q: What are some of the things that motivate you, personally, in your work?

My hope for the future of BETTER WORK is that I want us to become the go-to place for job applicants and employers. Applicants can feel confident that we’re going to be able to place them somewhere. Employers are going to be confident that we’re going to send them people that are going to be there till they retire, and they’re going to be wonderful employees. Also, it could also reduce unemployment rates and things like that. I really want to create a childcare program. That’s what I want to do.

Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average

by Kimberly Sawatka | Nov 18, 2022

Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average

Georgia officials said Thursday the state’s October unemployment rate remained lower than the national rate, news that follows a new finding that nearly half a million Georgians have dropped out of the workforce.

While Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.9% was lower than the national unemployment rate of 3.7%, it was slightly higher than last month’s rate of 2.8% but down from last October’s 3.4% rate.

Meanwhile, a new Georgia Center for Opportunity analysis found 454,100 Georgians are not in the labor force and have effectively given up on work. The number does not include retirees, students or full-time caregivers.

Read the full article here

Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Nov 17, 2022

Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average

Meanwhile, a new Georgia Center for Opportunity analysis found 454,100 Georgians are not in the labor force and have effectively given up on work. The number does not include retirees, students or full-time caregivers.

Read the full article here

BETTER WORK Columbus hosting job fair for MCSD parents

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Oct 26, 2022

BETTER WORK Columbus hosting job fair for MCSD parents

BETTER WORK Columbus will host a job fair on Thursday, Oct. 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for parents of children in the Muscogee County School District (MCSD). It will take place at Victory Mission at 3448 North Lumpkin Road in Columbus, according to an MCSD press release.

There will be on-the-spot interviews, access to community-based resources, giveaways, food box distributions, work clothing and employment workshops on resume building, interviewing, budgeting and more. Registration is recommended to reserve seats for the workshops.

Read the full article here

Eddie’s story: Moving from homelessness to a housing and a stable job

by David Bass | Oct 20, 2022

Eddie’s story: Moving from homelessness to a housing and a stable job

Key Points

Eddie was homeless and living on the streets.
With a home secured, Eddie’s next step was to find more permanent work
Eddie is excited and proud to have taken steps toward building the life he wants.

“I look forward to moving on up.”

That’s how Eddie Craig describes his current career aspirations. He has light in his eyes and hope in his heart, now that he has a steady job and a place to call home. But life wasn’t always so good for Eddie.

Eddie spent nearly five years on the street, homeless and working odd jobs. He earned money by raking and mowing yards, but it wasn’t enough to pay for a place to live. Every night, he slept in his car.

Then, he came to Home For Good, where he got in touch with an advocate named Ms. Terry. One morning, Ms. Terry located his car, where she woke him and introduced herself.

“I heard her tap on the car window one morning. To be honest with you, I thought it was the police, because they were white,” Eddie says. “But I stepped out of the car and found out her name was Ms. Terry. She got my name and everything.”

For about a month, Ms. Terry worked with Eddie to find affordable housing.

“The next thing I knew, she was calling me to tell me I had my own place,” he says. “We went over there and checked it out. I didn’t care what it looked like. She said, ‘You like it?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I like it, no problem.’”

With his housing secure, Eddie’s next step was to find more permanent work. That’s where BETTER WORK Columbus stepped in. Eddie attended a job fair hosted by BETTER WORK. Eddie met Kristin, who went on to help him complete his hiring paperwork and get his questions answered.

“Between BETTER WORK and Home For Good, getting Eddie into housing and a steady job was a team effort,” Kristin says.

Unfortunately, once Eddie was hired at his first job through BETTER WORK, reliable transportation proved to be an obstacle. His employer changed his schedule to another shift, and he couldn’t get to work. Still, he was determined to find another job, so he reached back out to BETTER WORK for help any time he encountered a roadblock.

“He succeeded because he didn’t give up,” Kristin says.

Fortunately, Eddie was able to get connected at a new job with the Marriott Hotel, where he’s happily employed and thriving. Since Eddie doesn’t have a formal education, Kristin and Ms. Terry helped him complete and submit his application paperwork. Along the way, he also got help obtaining the identifying documentation he needed to get hired — items such as his birth certificate, ID, and Social Security card.

“I had to start from the bottom,” he says.

Eddie credits Kristin for the job and Ms. Terry for his escape from homelessness.

“Thank God for BETTER WORK,” says Eddie. “I’m a living witness this has helped me.”

“Thank God for BETTER WORK,” says Eddie. “I’m a living witness this has helped me.”

Eddie’s success story at BETTER WORK is largely attributed to the fact that he had a genuine desire to earn an honest living for himself. He knew others in the homeless community who didn’t share his drive, but he was determined to build a better future for himself.

“I consider myself physically healthy and mentally healthy,” he says. “As far as a paycheck, everybody loves a paycheck.”

For others like Eddie who are looking for a steady job, he offers reassurance that the team at BETTER WORK will take their interests and strengths into consideration during the job search process.

“BETTER WORK is going to help you find what you love to do,” he says. “It won’t just be digging ditches — unless you like digging ditches.”

Ultimately, Eddie is excited and proud to have taken steps toward building the life he wants. And BETTER WORK is proud to have played a part in his story.

“It’s just good to be in the workforce,” he says.

Five reasons to celebrate the value of work on Labor Day

by David Bass | Sep 5, 2022

Black Grey Labor Day Instagram Post (3000 × 1000 px)

Five reasons to celebrate the value of work on Labor Day

Key Points

A disproportionately large number of able-bodied adults have checked out of the workforce.
This Labor Day, we’d like to acknowledge five reasons why work remains so important.

Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894 under President Grover Cleveland. The core meaning of the holiday is to celebrate the achievements and value of everyday workers. But here at the Georgia Center for Opportunity, we see another important part of Labor Day celebrations — to acknowledge the value of work itself.

The United States has a rich history of viewing work as ennobling. That’s part of what has helped each succeeding generation of Americans have a brighter economic future than the one before. But in recent history, we’ve witnessed an anti-work spirit arise in our nation.

A disproportionately large number of able-bodied adults have checked out of the workforce. Even though the unemployment rate in the U.S. is at historic lows, the labor force participation rate has not caught up — indicating that millions of workers are absent from the workforce who could otherwise be working.

This Labor Day, we’d like to acknowledge five reasons why work remains so important.

Work provides a key source of dignity

Work is about bettering one’s self and one’s family materially, that’s true. But that is not the only benefit. Another benefit is the way the work itself benefits the individual, the intangible but no less important side benefits of work.

When we are separated from work, we lose more than just monetary compensation or the food, shelter, clothing, and other basics that money can buy. We also face a loss of social connection, meaningful activity, self-respect, and overall purpose.

Work helps to establish our daily rhythms

Work establishes the daily rhythms of life. It dictates when we rise from bed, when we eat our meals, how we schedule our weeks, how we interact with our families. Work provides important structure for our lives.

Work benefits all of society

Workers make contributions that extend beyond their own families to society as a whole. They generate value and rely on themselves rather than government assistance. Employed people are also less likely to commit crime and their families tend to be healthier.

Bringing The Dignity of Work to every individual.

We believe that every able-bodied individual should have a path to fulfilling work. We do this through initiatives that create a flourishing job market, remove barriers to those unable to find work, and work directly with communities to move the un and underemployed into work.

Work provides an opportunity to be generous to others

Work gives us the monetary resources to be generous to those in need. Maybe that’s why the U.S. is one of the most generous nations in the world for private philanthropy — historically, we’ve valued hard work and the generosity made possible by it.

Work honors God

Our religious traditions teach that work has intrinsic value. In the Hebrew account of creation, God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden and instructed him “to work it and keep it.” In the New Testament, Paul stated that “if a man will not work, he will not eat.” The Calvinist work ethic brought to our shores by the Puritans equated diligent work with duty to God.