Last month, we reported that KRA had been awarded a multi-year contract as a Prince George’s County Works provider, assisting customers enrolled in Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), Supplementary Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), and Non-Custodial Parent Employment (NPEP) programs. On September 7, 2011, “Ellie”, a TCA participant, enrolled in the KRA Job-Readiness Program, and on October 3, 2011, started a new job. In this economic climate, where the unemployed search for jobs for months…even years…this is a remarkable accomplishment.
During intake, Jazmyne Byrd, KRA Career Agent, in the Landover, Maryland office, learned that Ellie, 22, needed immediate assistance: she had been unemployed since July, and, with her two children, was about to become homeless. Getting her KRA teammates involved, Byrd started working with Ellie on her job-readiness skills…resume-writing, interviewing techniques, etc….while others began making phone calls to prospective employers. Within 3 weeks of completing the Job-Readiness Program, Ellie gained fulltime employment with a community-based support services agency as a Direct Support Professional working with developmentally disabled individuals. The KRA team not only provided Ellie with employment support, but assisted her with housing options, and she now lives in a new apartment in which she and her children feel safe.
To show her appreciation to the KRA/PG County Works team, she wrote a letter stating,” I’m very thankful for KRA Prince George’s Works…for helping me learn how to write my own resume. They not only showed me how to format my resume, but simplified it to where I could do it on my own. The Job Readiness assistance that I received helped me to obtain employment.” Ellie’s letter also stated that her overall experience was beneficial and a blessing to her and her family. Byrd stated, “The service that ‘Ellie’ received is a testament to what KRA does daily; we do live by our company motto…Developing Workers and Strengthening Communities…every day. The KRA/PG County Works team is excited and determined to make every customer’s experience as memorable as Ellie’s.”
