The Women Workforce Ready (WWR) program is a holistic suite of services offered through our Empowerment Center designed to address the major barriers of housing and education/training women face in achieving self-sufficiency, especially women who are experiencing homelessness or on the verge of homelessness. The goals of this program are threefold: to get women in safe and affordable housing through our Rapid Rehousing and Homelessness Prevention Program (RRHP), to address their emergent needs such clothing, doctor visits, and mental health needs to achieve personal stability through case management and referrals to appropriate agencies, and to connect WWR participants to education and training opportunities in Clinton and Jackson Counties. Our Empowerment Center understands that to successfully help women move towards self-sufficiency, a wrap-around approach to services must be utilized. This program aims to build upon the foundation of our RRHP to ensure that once women are housed, they are equipped to keep their homes and experience financial and personal stability. By working with case managers bi-weekly for up to one year, WWR participants will receive continuous support, advocacy on their behalf, and guidance in learning how to navigate systems necessary to secure education and training so that they can gain the skills they need to become Workforce Ready. This grant will support the housing arm of the program and industry specific job fairs for women to learn about different employment opportunities, specific training requirements for those positions, and training programs provided by businesses and community organizations to support their career success.
