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Two Educators Labor To Uplift The Homeless and Unemployed
(May 17, 2010) | 
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Head Loaves and Fishes
educator Tommy Martinez (left) goes through the
new class schedule with Executive Director Bill
Reagan, as assistant Elsa Almendarez looks on. |
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Harlingen, Texas, May 13, 2010 -- Tommy
Martinez and Elsa Almendarez have a daunting
mission to accomplish. They are educators who
operate a long established training program at
Loaves and Fishes of the Rio Grande Valley in
Texas. This multi-service feeding and shelter
organization has a training and work placement
center that is steadily providing a means for
the unskilled, the underemployed and the
unemployed to qualify for available work or
better positions.
Loaves and Fishes is a non-profit corporation
sponsored by the Ministerial Alliance of
Harlingen, Texas. With its primary funding
coming from churches, individuals and
foundations, it serves as a shining example of
how neighbors should be helping neighbors in
today's depressed economy. Last year alone, the
shelter provided more than 10, 800 bed nights
for men, women and children. At the same time it
served 112,972 hot meals to the hungry. Those
individuals seeking help from the shelter are |
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often homeless wanderers, but they are also
individuals or families who come from cities and
towns across this region of Deep South Texas. |
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While the basic programs of Loaves and Fishes are
providing food and shelter, its Training Center and Job
Placement Services are busy attempting to prepare
homeless people and the unemployed to handle their
personal affairs or enter the work force.
Senior Educator Tommy Martinez has a unique student
body. Those who come to him for training are unemployed
or underemployed due to a lack of education and/or
needed job skills. To even get an interview for most
available positions applicants must demonstrate they
have educational skills of at least a high school level.
Toward such an objective both Tommy and Elsa teach the
multiple subjects that these applicants will find on the
General Educational Development Test (GED). |
Educator Tommy Martinez looks
over a computer lesson in advance of a class.
All of his students receive personal instruction
and work at their own speed. Each year he trains
more than 125 people in the use of computer
programs and helps almost 200 more students
qualify to pass their GED. |
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During 2009 a total of 191 were taught the
educational skills that would allow them to pass
this important test. So far this year, almost
another 50 people have gone through the program.
The only hurdle many of them must overcome is
the lack of money to take the GED tests. Most do
not have the $95 fee required by the local
technical college. Though the Loaves and Fishes
organization provides all of the training and
classroom study free, there has been no fund
established to cover the test fees.
“We do have individuals send in donations from
time to time”, says Tommy Martinez, “but not
enough to cover all of our good students wishing
to receive that GED Certificate. It would be
great to have some foundation or business adopt
this program and provide more test money.”
Clients arriving at the Training Center with
computer skills are few in number. Because being
computer literate is now a work requirement for
most positions, training in several of the more
common business programs is conducted on a
regular basis. |
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Microsoft Word and Excel are the programs most
in demand. Classes are scheduled during the
morning hours, afternoons and at night to allow
training time to fit just about every person's
schedule. The classes meet two days a weeks and
are three hours in length. |
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Other training services being offered are in Family
Budgeting, which is particularly important for those
low-income families who find it difficult to make ends
meet every month. There is even a course of Home Buyer
Training that is given on a regular basis for those
unfamiliar with the complexities of real estate
purchasing.
Tommy Martinez watches over these training programs and
also the small job placement center that is operated by
Loaves and Fishes. Close to 6,000 various services
ranging from resume preparation to providing listings of
available positions are utilized within the placement
program during the span of one year. |
Educator Elsa Allmendarez
(right) talks a student through a GED lesson at
the Loaves and Fishes of the Rio Grande Valley
training center. |
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During the first four months of 2010 there
were 190 new clients who came to the job
placement service seeking employment. Sadly, in
this economic downturn, only 31 of them were
hired. Both Elsa and Tommy agree that employers
are happy with the applicants they have been
sent for interviews.
“For some who want new employees, we are the
first organization contacted. A number of people
who have hired our clients are pleased enough
that they come back to us repeatedly, when they
are looking for additional help”, says Martinez.
There are always those who will think small
outreach programs such as these are unimportant
in today's crowded and complex society. It is
true the Loaves and Fishes programs are small in
the number of people served. However, they are a
worthy example of what communities can do for
themselves instead of |
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always looking to the government for assistance. |
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Article and photos by
Thomas D. Segel
Tom@thomasdsegel.com
www.thomasdsegel.com
Copyright
2010
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