Needed: More Community Service Jobs Worksites

Posted by on May 2, 2002

[Family Advocates Network]

From Ed Schwartz

As many of you know, after two years of receiving cash assistance, TANF recipients must work for 20 hours per week. Since many cannot find ‘unsubsidized’ jobs, they have been working in nonprofit organizations, human service agencies, and public sector facilities (Recreation Centers, etc.) to meet this requirement usually under the auspices of a specific welfare-to-work program. The Transitional Work Corporation works with a number of community based organizations in this area, as do groups training people for specific kinds of jobs under Single Point of Contract (SPOC) training programs supported by the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation (PWDC).

The Institute for the Study of Civic Values has placed more than 1,000 TANF recipients in community worksites over the past three years under the Work Opportunities Program. Presently, we have built a network of more than 100 organizations with 525 ‘work activities’ that have been approved this program by the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation.

Now we are undertaking this responsibility for a newly created “Work Plus” program starting in July for recipients who have used up their time in paid work experience. This program will at least enable them to continue to receive their cash assistance from the Department of Public Welfare. And for most of the summer and early fall, these must be *new* worksites–since this is a new program. Besides, there will continue to be people from the “Work Opportunities Program” working in organizations throughout the summer. So while we have been calling a number of organizations in our network to get them involved, I thought that putting out this appeal through our email network might be helpful as well.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A COMMUNITY WORKSITE FOR THE “WORK PLUS” PROGRAM WITH ISCV, PLEASE CALL CHRISTINE HARRITY AT 215-238-1434 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

We are also convening a training session for WorkSite Supervisors (present and future) on Thursday, June 20th, from 9:30 AM-12:30 PM at the new center for the Work Plus Program managed by Arbor, 437 Chestnut St., 8th Floor.

We intend to strengthen our network of organizations supporting community service jobs so that we can provide the best possible support to TANF recipients and so that we can become effective advocates for making these programs work well for all of us.

ISCV web site: http://www.iscv.org
Also Check out “Neighborhoods Online” at http://www.neighborhoodsonline.net.
Or in Philadelphia: http://www.phillyneighborhoods.org