Partnership in Action

Examples of Employer/Faith-Based and Community 

Organization Partnerships

U.S. Department of Labor

Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
 Introduction

Introduction

This publication builds on the Making a Difference Through Strategic Business Partnerships: A Guide for FaithBased and Community Organizations guidebook by providing a series of snapshots of partnerships between 

employers and faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs).

FBCOs bring unique assets to the task of assisting individuals looking for training and employment. This is 

particularly true with hard-to-serve populations who often need long-term, in-depth assistance to find and 

retain jobs. Research conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor has shown that people with multiple barriers 

to employment (immigrants, welfare-to-work populations, the disabled, ex-offenders and others) need the kind 

of effective, holistic care offered by FBCOs. 

Training and support services, however, are only part of the employment equation. FBCOs working with hardto-serve populations also need expertise in understanding the needs of businesses and shaping their programs to 

support those needs. Partnership in Action is designed to help FBCOs build better partnerships with employers 

by offering several different examples of effective collaboration.

Some of these partnerships are between an FBCO and an employer, and some include the public workforce 

system and its network of One-Stop Career Centers (One-Stops). Other partnerships include other social 

service providers, community colleges, and local government agencies. While the partnerships may all take 

different form, all are important and all provide valuable models upon which other FBCOs might build similar 

partnerships.

In each case, the FBCOs profiled demonstrate how they were able to build on their comparative advantage 

and partner with employers in a way that emphasized their strengths while providing value to their employer 

partners.

There is no right or wrong model for partnership between FBCOs and employers. Successful partnerships can 

be structured in many different ways. This publication documents some of these partnerships and how they can 

be beneficial for both FBCOs and employers.

Employment often strengthens families, communities, and is a core mission of many FBCOs. This publication 

lays out replicable models that many diverse organizations can utilize and duplicate. It is important to note that 

it will require patience and perseverance for FBCOs and employers to work and walk in partnership. 

The mission of the Department of Labor Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI) is to 

empower the faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) that help their neighbors prepare for, enter, 

and thrive in the workforce. The CFBCI was created by Executive Order 13198 and this resource was created 

to effectively disseminate information to faith-based and other community organizations with respect to 

department initiatives. 

Private entities in this document are included for informational or illustrative purposes and this should not be 

construed as an endorsement of these entities, their products or services by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Examples of Employer/Faith-Based and Community Organization Partnership 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ...........................................................................................................................................i

Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................. 1

The Jobs Partnership of Florida ............................................................................................................ 3

Mount Lebanon Baptist Church ........................................................................................................... 7

Brand New Beginnings.......................................................................................................................... 9

Anderson Interfaith Ministries........................................................................................................... 11

The Wilkinson Center ......................................................................................................................... 13

The SOURCE ....................................................................................................................................... 15

Building Employer Partnerships: Critical Steps ................................................................................ 17

Examples of Employer/Faith-Based and Community Organization Partnership 

The Jobs Partnership of Florida

Marc Stanakis

Executive Director

7531 S. Orange Blossom Trail

Orlando, FL 32809

(407) 235-1522

www.tjp.org 

marc@jobspartnershipfl.org

Organizational Background

In 1996, the idea for Jobs Partnership was formed in Raleigh, North Carolina, out of a relationship between 

businessman Chris Mangum of C. C. Mangum, Inc., and Reverend Donald McCoy of Pleasant Hill United 

Church of Christ. Mangum and Rev. McCoy met during the construction of the Pleasant Hill United Church 

of Christ’s parking lot and immediately developed a strong friendship. Over lunch one day, Mangum revealed 

a pressing need for employees, noting that many of his larger trucks were parked due to a lack of drivers. Rev. 

McCoy responded by saying there were several able-bodied men and women in his congregation that were also 

unemployed. The idea of helping each other meet their needs seemed both reasonable and intriguing. 

Acknowledging that if one business and one church experienced this kind of need, Mangum and Rev. McCoy 

reasoned there must be others in the business and faith communities with similar needs. So they utilized their 

extensive networks within the business and faith communities to find twelve others businesses and churches 

with which to form a partnership. These partnerships shared a common mission of reaching out to, mentoring, 

training, and employing their unemployed and under-employed neighbors in Raleigh. Within a few weeks, 

Mangum and Rev. McCoy each successfully recruited twelve other participants to join together and form Jobs 

Partnership of Raleigh.

It became apparent early on that leadership would be necessary to develop this new partnership. Thus, eight 

pastors of various denominations joined forces with seven business leaders to form a steering committee that 

represented the faith-based and business communities of Raleigh. This committee developed a strategy to 

accomplish the mission of successfully transitioning their neighbors from unemployment to financial selfsufficiency. Utilizing the model of classroom education, a two-fold curriculum was developed to teach basic 

workplace skills and ethics, as well as the necessary tools to find and keep a job.4 Pastors from partner churches 

promoted this workforce development initiative in their congregations and in the communities in which they 

serve in order to identify individuals needing jobs. 

Role of Churches

Pastors look for individuals who meet either of the following criteria:

• Unemployed - currently out of work 

• Underemployed - currently working but in need of a more meaningful opportunity 

Pastors then meet individually with each candidate to discern his or her commitment to the following process:

• Attend all classes of a 12-week training which meets two nights per week for two hours each night; 

• Participate in an accountability relationship with a mentor assigned by the pastor; 

• Complete all homework assignments in the student workbook; and 

• Complete an application and Covenant Agreement detailing the commitments made by the individual, 

his or her mentor, and others supporting the individual’s goal of finding and retaining employment. 

4

This curriculum is copyrighted and available from the National Jobs Partnership—www.tjp.org
 Partnership in Action

Role of Employers

The employment provided to candidates is one of the keys to the success of The Jobs Partnership. Partner 

businesses agree to:

• Showcase career opportunities and internal career ladders; 

• Register their current job openings with The Jobs Partnership; 

• Seek to employ qualified referrals; 

• Provide employee benefits; 

• Provide a “coach” on the job; and 

• Offer feedback to the church sponsor. 

Not only do partner businesses gain access to talented referrals who have already displayed a commitment to 

personal and skill growth, but these businesses also serve a valuable role as they give back to their community by 

helping to build the workforce of tomorrow.

Jobs Partnership of Florida

The Jobs Partnership of Florida (JPFL) affiliate was started in 1996 through an initiative of a business 

association—the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce. One of the greatest benefits associated with 

JPFL’s origination through a Chamber of Commerce was that JPFL staff had a clear and broad picture of the 

community, its employers and their particular needs, and its network of community providers and services. 

JPFL’s approach to providing workforce development services is very employer-focused. All of the JPFL staff 

have business backgrounds and experience and are able to speak and interact with employers in ways that many 

FBCO staff are not. The staff members have an employer mindset and understand that their own operation is 

also a business. 

In its early days, JPFL began by trying to offer its students childcare, transportation, and other supportive 

services. Since that time, the JPFL program has narrowed its scope and to determine what it can do best for its 

clientele—both employers and jobseekers. 

Now, JPFL has clearly defined itself as a life skills training provider. First and foremost, it is a job training 

organization. Job placement will follow. Trying to provide the other services was not only distracting and 

overwhelming for JPFL, but it also prevented JPFL from providing the very best life skills training. 

For all the other needs and concerns of its clients, JPFL looks for partners and collaborations. Among its 

partners are:

• Charity Cars (www.800CharityCars.org)

Provides donated vehicles to struggling families willing to work and become self-sufficient, tax-paying 

members of the community. 

• Consumer Credit Counseling Service (www.cccscfl.com)

Dedicated to providing the finest professional financial counseling and education services available.

• Dress for Success (www.DressForSuccess.org)

Helps low-income women make tailored transitions into the workforce. Each Jobs Partnership client 

referred to Dress for Success receives one suit when she has a job interview and a second suit when she 

gets the job.

• Frontline Outreach 

Provides academic and recreational programs for urban youth and their families in Orlando.

• Goodwill Industries of Central Florida (www.goodwillcfl.org)

Provides vocational and job placement services to individuals with disabilities and other barriers 

to employment so that they may attain long-term employment, improve their lives, and become 

participating members of their community.
Examples of Employer/Faith-Based and Community Organization Partnership 

• One-Stop Career Centers (www.servicelocator.org/nearest_onestop.asp)

Provides no-cost recruitment and employment services to businesses and jobseekers in the Central 

Florida region of Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake and Sumter Counties.

• Orange County Public Schools - Workforce Education 

Provides educational opportunities for learners that integrate technical and academic training to meet 

the employment and personal needs of individuals and the community.

• Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce

Provides access to member businesses interested in recruiting qualified workers.

• Valencia Community College

Assists Jobs Partnership graduates in achieving career and education goals in a productive and efficient 

manner.

These partnerships have been developed over time and with great care. Some came about in response to the 

specific needs of JPFL’s clients, while others were developed as a result of JPFL’s various contracts and projects 

with the public or private sector. In each case, JPFL built the partnership by emphasizing its ability to provide 

life skills training that yielded job candidates who would be exemplary employees. JPFL was able to describe 

how the partnership would provide benefits to itself, the partner, individual job seekers, and employers.

By focusing on its core mission of job training, JPFL has been able to improve both its services as well as its 

funding from a variety of sources, including the County of Orange, the Orlando Housing Authority, and 

numerous independent sponsors. 

As JPFL has grown, it has evolved from trying to place its graduates in many different fields to focusing on 

developing strong and extensive partnerships within targeted industries. These targeted industries were 

identified as those with high job growth, strong wages and benefits, and good internal career ladders.5 These 

industries represented such a large number of employers in the employment base in Central Florida that JPFL 

was ensuring a continuous stream of job openings and opportunities for itself and its clients. As a result, JPFL is 

working extensively with employers in the healthcare and hospitality fields.

5 For further information about the high-growth job training initiative, visit: www.doleta.gov/BRG/JobTrainInitiative
 Partnership in Action

Employer Partnership: Florida Hospital

Florida Hospital is an acute-care health care system that reports treating more than one million patients 

throughout Central Florida annually. It is part of the comprehensive network of seventeen hospitals in the 

Adventist Health System’s Florida Division, and it is very open and receptive to partnering with faith-based 

organizations. As with most health care providers across the nation, Florida Hospital has been in a non-stop 

search for qualified employees—both in terms of technical skills and experience as well as interpersonal and 

soft-skill qualifications—for many years.

JPFL and Florida Hospital first met in 

the fall of 2001 to identify and prepare 

individuals who could be hired as Health 

Unit Coordinators (HUC). HUCs provide 

critical support to doctors and nurses in 

a given unit within a hospital or medical 

facility. Starting wages for HUCs, at the 

time, were $9.05 per hour with benefits and 

frequent opportunities to work overtime.

The model designed between JPFL and 

Florida Hospital to meet this employment 

need purposefully includes the local 

vocational school and the local One-Stop 

Career Center (One-Stop). Students going 

though JPFL are given an opportunity 

to learn about the HUC position and 

its requirements, responsibilities, and 

potential career paths. If they are interested 

and if they pass preliminary screening, 

they are referred to the One-Stop Career 

Center to assess whether they are eligible 

for a ten-week training program available 

through a local vocational school. By 

having interested students work with the 

One-Stop to gain approval for a training 

voucher while still in the JPFL training, 

JPFL is able to streamline the process and 

ensure that students are able to continue 

their training and preparation process 

without interruption. 

If the prospective employee passes the 

initial screening, students start their 

vocational training once they have 

successfully completed the twelve-week 

JPFL soft-skills training. The vocational 

school, in turn, conducts the actual job 

placement to the hospital, thus allowing 

JPFL to focus on life skills training. 

Employer Partnerships: Recruitment 

Central Florida Air Conditioning Contractors 

of America

The Central Florida Air Conditioning Contractors of America 

is a contractor association comprised of 42 member companies. Each member company reported having a hard time 

finding reliable long-term employees. 

These companies endeavored to find a workforce development partner organization and, in the process, learned about 

JPFL. The companies were particularly impressed with JPFL’s 

emphasis on, and success with, life skills training. The member companies have always been willing to provide hard 

skills and industry-specific training to their employees and 

support a joint apprenticeship program. What these companies have trouble with is finding employees with a basic 

commitment to work, including showing up on time, getting 

along, being trustworthy, and caring about doing quality 

work. As a result, JPFL is in the process of developing and 

implementing a partnership with the member companies. 

While not all the details have been finalized and changes 

may be made following a pilot test, JPFL will commit to 

actively recruiting individuals interested in the trade by tapping into their own pool of clients and jobseekers, working 

with and advertising to its network of church partners, and 

partnering with local agencies to identify and screen potential candidates for employment with these contractors. After 

the screening process, interested candidates will go through 

JPFL’s standard soft skills program. JPFL will then refer successful graduates to the contractor association. The association will define a process by which its employer members 

can interview these candidates and by which candidates 

have an opportunity to interview with more than one employer, providing both parties with choice and the opportunity to find the best match. 
Examples of Employer/Faith-Based and Community Organization Partnership 

Mount Lebanon Baptist Church

Rev. H. Lionel Edmonds

Senior Minister

Mount Lebanon Baptist Church

1219 New Jersey Ave, NW

Washington, DC 20001 

(202) 347-6105

Organizational Background

Mount Lebanon Baptist Church has been serving the people of Washington, DC, for over a century. Located just 

a few blocks from Capitol Hill, Mount Lebanon focuses on helping its neighbors get back on their feet by serving 

individuals in need and their families. This holistic approach to ministry has led to Mount Lebanon becoming a 

bridge that connects the unemployed with employers in their neighborhood.

Mount Lebanon is a member of the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN), multi-faith, non-partisan 

organization composed of Washington, DC, faith-based and community organizations. Founded in 1996, WIN 

includes churches, synagogues, unions, and public school members, representing every section of the city. 

As a church in an urban setting, Mount Lebanon focuses the core of its ministry on the economic health of its 

members, its community, and its city. Necessarily entailed in this ministry is providing holistic services to the 

poor in the community.

As such, Mount Lebanon, both on its own and through 

its membership in WIN, has traditionally worked 

with employers to find opportunities for jobseekers. 

Much of this work originated with construction firms, 

contractors, and the building trades. One key aspect of 

Mount Lebanon’s partnership with these employers was 

a series job fairs, during which Mount Lebanon was able 

to identify, screen, and refer interested and qualified 

candidates for employment. In time, Mount Lebanon 

enjoyed a measure of success in placing jobseekers from 

across the Washington, DC, community with local 

employers.

In the early 1990’s at a conference hosted by the U.S. 

Chamber of Commerce, Senior Pastor Rev. Lionel 

Edmonds met the Director of Government Programs 

for CVS Pharmacy, Steve Wing. Steve commented on 

the difficulty CVS was experiencing in trying to find and 

hire qualified individuals for their stores throughout the 

Washington, DC, region. CVS had recently taken out 

an expensive ad in the Washington Post announcing a 

job fair, but no one showed up on the day of the event. 

Rev. Edmonds mentioned to Wing that he would be 

interested in hosting a job fair at Mount Lebanon and that 

it might bring in large numbers of qualified and interested 

candidates to interview with CVS. CVS accepted his offer.

Employer Partnership: 

CVS Pharmacy

Mount Lebanon Baptist Church and 

Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) have 

been running job fairs in Washington, DC, for 

a number of years. Prior to working with CVS, 

most of the job fairs had been for employers 

in the building trades. Currently, Mount 

Lebanon, WIN, the City of Washington, DC, 

and various trade unions are negotiating an 

agreement that would promote and ease the 

identification, screening, selection, training 

and placement of qualified candidates in 

the building trades to meet the construction 

boom in Washington, DC, including the 

redevelopment of the old convention center 

site. Under this agreement, Mount Lebanon 

and WIN will provide life and employability 

skills, the trade unions will enroll qualified 

individuals in two-year apprenticeship 

programs, and contractors will have a pipeline 

of certified and trained workers. 
 Partnership in Action

Over the next six weeks Rev. Edmonds promoted the job fair 

each Sunday during services, encouraging parishioners to attend 

and to tell family, friends, and others throughout the community. 

Rev. Edmonds also made clear CVS’s expectations and job 

requirements, including dress requirements and punctuality, 

as well as benefits offered by CVS, such as salary, training and 

development opportunities, and career advancement. 

The job fair was held on a Sunday to take advantage of the fact 

that people would already be at Mount Lebanon and to ensure 

that job candidates were appropriately dressed. Mount Lebanon 

reports that more than 120 interested jobseekers showed up at 

the job fair with more than 75 percent received second interviews 

with CVS, and 40 percent hire rate. 

Since that time, job fairs for CVS and other employers have 

been hosted by many of the faith-based organizations that are 

members of WIN. Since this initial event, CVS and the faith 

community in Washington, DC, have forged a strong bond 

committed to employing jobseekers in Washington, DC. 

While job fairs alone do not bind the partnership between 

Mount Lebanon and CVS, they are an example of an effective 

labor exchange in which an organization with access to a supply 

of labor assists in matching the labor to employers who have a 

demand for labor. 

The real key to the successful partnership between Mount 

Lebanon and CVS is the trust that has been cultivated by 

repeatedly delivering a number of successful job fairs. When 

CVS is able to continuously hire qualified candidates brought 

to the job fairs by Mount Lebanon and when Mount Lebanon 

is able to continuously identify qualified candidates that CVS 

wants to hire, then both parties begin to learn the value and 

benefit of working together. Add to the mix a host of tangential 

benefits enjoyed by both Mount Lebanon and CVS—i.e., positive 

community relationships and exceptional public relations—and 

strong partnerships are both likely and expected to develop.

The partnership between Mount Lebanon and CVS has grown to include the public workforce system in 

Washington, DC. Based in large part on the success of this partnership, the Washington, DC, Workforce 

Investment Board is planning to build a One-Stop Career Center on the grounds of the Mount Lebanon Baptist 

Church. This project will be funded through both public and private resources. Specifically, CVS has already 

committed funds to provide equipment and training materials to support pharmacist and photo lab technician 

training programs that will be offered on site at the One-Stop Career Center.

“CVS is a trusted and faithful 

partner in our community. 

I have partnered with CVS 

on several job fairs in which 

members of my congregation 

have found fruitful 

employment and have begun 

a prosperous and productive 

career with CVS.”

—Rev. Lionel Edmonds, Senior Minister, 

Mount Lebanon Baptist Church and 

President/Co-Founder, Washington 

Interfaith Network

“Building relationships with 

employers is a long, slow 

process. Be patient, honest, 

and committed.” 

 — Rev. Lionel Edmonds, Senior 

 Minister, Mount Lebanon Baptist 

 Church and President/Co-Founder, 

 Washington Interfaith Network
Examples of Employer/Faith-Based and Community Organization Partnership 

Brand New Beginnings

Della Mitchell 

103-115 E. 8th St. 

Chicago, IL 60637

(773) 955-5780

brandnewbeginnings@ameritech.net

Organizational Background

Brand New Beginnings started in the mid-1990s out of an advocacy coalition called the Chicago Coalition for 

the Homeless. The Coalition’s mission was to work with women trying to become self-sufficient by securing 

appropriate housing, jobs that provide a living wage, daycare, and reliable and affordable transportation. 

Brand New Beginnings secured and renovated an abandoned building for use as family housing. The building 

was selected because of its proximity to schools, bus routes, and other necessities for the residents. While the 

original purchase price was only $350, according to [__________] the renovation into a 24-unit residential 

facility took more than seven years and cost approximately $2.7 million. It is now used as low-income rental 

housing. 

Brand New Beginnings operates a fully supportive program to help its on-site female residents. It has a social 

worker, job developer, and substance abuse counselor on staff. Brand New Beginnings places a strong emphasis 

on its residents securing jobs that provide a salary so that residents are able to save enough money to eventually 

move into non-subsidized housing. Brand New Beginnings provides pre-employment, soft skills, and basic 

computer training; resume development; access to dress-for-success services; and mentoring services to its 

residents. 

Employer Partnerships

Brand New Beginnings has established a network of employer partners. The 

first step in identifying an appropriate employer is to ensure that they offer a 

competitive wage, have flexible work arrangements and schedules, and offer 

training and advancement opportunities. 

Brand New Beginnings invests time and effort in researching its potential employer partners. It gets to know 

the employer, the employer’s specific needs and expectations for employees, and the type of relationship the 

employer expects to have with an intermediary such as Brand New Beginnings. At the same time, Brand New 

Beginnings makes sure that the employer understands what it offers, the value it can bring to the employer’s 

organization, the skills and abilities of its residents and clients, and how a partnership between the employer 

and Brand New Beginnings would work. Brand New Beginnings believes that Spending time early in the 

relationship to learn about the employer can ensure fewer problems down the road and a higher likelihood of a 

successful placement. 

When it appears that there is a foundation for a good partnership, Brand New Beginnings helps the employer 

to better understand the women it will be referring for placement. This step is not necessarily intended to move 

the employers to change specific internal practices, but rather to sensitize the employers to a range of issues 

so that both the employer and the employee are more likely to succeed. Where and when appropriate, Brand 

New Beginnings assists employers as they improve flexibility and programs to provide on-the-job training to 

employees. 

FBCO Tips for Success:

Be flexible, enthusiastic, 

visionary, and focused. 
10 Partnership in Action

One of the keys to Brand New Beginnings’ success is making sure it is referring someone who is ready to 

work, knows how to handle herself in an interview, and has demonstrated ample desire to work. Brand New 

Beginnings understands that it is sending someone out to an employer who is representing its organization, even 

though they are not on staff. 

Brand New Beginnings has hired a job developer to lead its efforts to find and work with employers. The job 

developer utilizes a wide range of resources and methods when seeking out new employers, including personal 

outreach, referrals through word of mouth, access to business networks through members of its board of 

directors, use of employer lists made available through community partners such as community development 

corporations, and, when all else fails, cold calling. 

Among Brand New Beginnings’ more than 40 employer partners are a number of hotels, department stores, 

nursing homes, and the University of Chicago bookstore. 

Following placement, Brand New Beginnings monitors and works with the employees to help them successfully 

complete the initial stages of employment. Many of its residents have limited and uneven work histories and 

may be tempted to leave a job over a range of issues that may be easily resolved.

To date, employers have not had to pay for any of the services and placements offered by Brand New Beginnings. 

Funding has come through foundations, donations from a variety of private sources, and grants at the city, state, 

and federal levels. Employers do, however, get access to a range of tax breaks as one benefit of working with 

Brand New Beginnings’ clients. 

Looking toward the future, Brand New Beginnings plans to expand its network of employers, reach out to more 

non-residents through flexible funding sources, and expand its funding base. It will seek to expand its services 

with employers in the health care field—especially in nursing homes. 
Examples of Employer/Faith-Based and Community Organization Partnership 11

Anderson Interfaith Ministries

Tracy Whitten

Assistant Director of Special Projects

Post Office Box 1136 

1202 South Murray Avenue 

Anderson, SC 29622 

(864) 226-2273 ext. 104

(864) 225-0349 (fax) 

tracy.bowie@aimcharity.org

www.aimcharity.org

Organizational Background

Early in 1989, a small group representing a number of Anderson, South Carolina’s, churches and synagogues 

gathered to discuss their common concern regarding individuals in the community who needed help. The 

congregants recognized that many people in need received no assistance, while others in need received duplicate 

services from various churches or religious groups who assisted in buying prescription drugs, paying utility bills, 

providing food, and meeting other needs. 

This group of congregants sought to form an organization of Anderson churches and individuals who would 

serve as a clearinghouse for Anderson’s citizens in need. Letters were sent to all houses of worship in Anderson 

to solicit financial support and institutional and personal involvement. On May 7, 1990, Anderson Interfaith 

Ministries (AIM) opened its doors in a building donated rent-free by one of Anderson’s local churches.

One common characteristic of AIM’s clients is that most have an inconsistent employment background. AIM’s 

philosophy of creating opportunities and encouraging responsibility fostered the development of “Women and 

Children Succeeding” (WACS). The major objective of WACS is to provide quality childcare for mothers who 

receive government assistance and have found the resources to continue or complete their education. Assisting 

mothers with childcare can create an opportunity for the mothers to become fully educated, trained, employed, 

and transitioned from a state of dependence to one of independence. 

Over the years AIM has assisted families in the Anderson County area through:

• An emergency assistance program; 

• The WACS program; 

• Building ramps and making minor repairs for elderly and handicapped clients; 

• Providing food items to the poor and hungry; and 

• Seasonal programs such as back-to-school backpacks and Christmas gifts. 

Part of the long-term solution to AIM’s clients’ challenges was to get clients into stable, sustainable, meaningful 

employment. In response to this need, AIM launched its workforce development program for those clients 

seeking to enter, or re-enter, the workplace in late 2004. 

AIM runs life skills training classes once each week. These classes provide basic knowledge on how to obtain 

and retain employment and are taught by the expertise and experience of three volunteers—all of whom are 

either retired human resources managers or retired plant managers. These classes cover such topics as:

• Interviewing skills;

• Resume preparation; 

• Job search skills; and

• Employer expectations, such as timeliness, ability to work in a team, basic communication, and respect 

for others.
12 Partnership in Action

In addition to teaching classes, volunteers also:

• Counsel clients about employment and career advancement; 

• Assist with resume and interview preparation;

• Coach and mentor clients during the job search and following placement in a job;

• Conduct follow-up interviews with clients; and

• Seek out information from employers and clients as to how AIM can improve its services and 

processes.

Employer Partnerships

AIM’s executive director has primary responsibility for arranging partnerships with employers. One of AIM’s 

principle employer partners is a nursing home in Anderson. AIM identifies and refers individuals who express 

interest and have the potential to become certified nursing assistants (CNA). AIM screens its clients and 

identifies potential candidates. AIM provides the candidate with an overview of:

• The CNA job and its requirements; 

• The health and nursing field in general; and 

• The employer, its work conditions, and the opportunities available to employees, including available career ladders and advancement opportunities.

AIM staff also checks the candidate’s work history for experience in related jobs, interest in the position and the 

employer, and criminal background. 

Employer partnerships are about:

• Finding and referring qualified applicants

• Improving employee retention

• Supporting employer and employee aspirations and goals

Employer partnerships are not about:

• Social services

• Charity

Qualified and appropriate candidates are referred to the nursing 

home once they complete AIM’s soft skills training and/or other 

workforce development preparation.

The nursing home, in turn, agrees to provide employment and 

basic training for those individuals who meet the necessary 

qualifications. Because the individual will not yet be a licensed 

CNA, initial employment will be in a different position. If the 

employee decides to pursue a CNA nursing certificate while 

employed by the nursing home, the nursing home will pay for 

the training. 

AIM also helps meet the employment needs for a local flooring company, an owner of a chain of convenience 

stores, a new Walgreens pharmacy and warehouse facility, and Save-A-Lot Grocery Stores. A partnership also 

is being investigated with CVS. Under this partnership AIM would work with the local community college to 

identify and refer interested and pre-qualified individuals into a pharmacy technician training program at the 

college for eventual placement at CVS. 

“AIM’s philosophy is to be 

a hand-up not a hand-out 

organization. In order to 

truly help people you have 

to hold them accountable, 

and they have to be willing to 

put forth the effort to change 

and improve their situations. 

Our soft skills program has 

given us another level of 

accountability for our clients.”

—Tracey Whitten, Director of 

Special Projects
Examples of Employer/Faith-Based and Community Organization Partnership 13

The Wilkinson Center

Heidi Hodges

Associate Director

The Wilkinson Center

Munger Place United Methodist Church 

Education Building

5200 Bryan Street

Dallas, TX 75206

(214) 821-6380 ext. 208

heidi_hodges@wilkinsoncenter.org

Organizational Background

Located in historic Old East Dallas, the Wilkinson Center offers services to one of the most diverse areas 

of North Texas. The Wilkinson Center offers encouragement, guidance, and support to a variety of clients, 

including the homeless, those new to the city, and those working but still in need of supportive services. 

Primarily established as a food pantry, the Wilkinson Center began in 1982 when Clayton Lewis, pastor of 

Munger Place United Methodist Church, saw children digging in the church dumpsters for food. To respond to 

this need, Pastor Lewis began assisting neighborhood families by providing food and clothing. 

The Wilkinson Center became a 501(c)(3) organization in 1994 and has since expanded its mission to proactively 

moving people from poverty to self-sufficiency. Today, the Wilkinson Center has grown into a multi-service 

facility. It reports assisting more than 16,000 people each year with food, clothing, employment assistance, afterschool children’s programs, and other emergency services.

The Wilkinson Center receives referrals by way of neighbors, other agencies, and church congregations. Based 

on the Wilkinson Centers’s data, since its inception, over 250,000 people—half of them children—have been 

served by the Wilkinson Center, making it a trusted and integral part of the community. 

Employer Partnerships

In the mid-1990s, the Wilkinson Center launched an employment program, where staff and volunteers 

performed basic tasks, such as identifying job openings, setting up interviews with prospective employers, and 

providing bus passes to clients. 

The Wilkinson Center staff and volunteers undertook an extensive search for model employment programs 

and practices relevant for faith-based community service organizations. Through their efforts, they discovered 

the WorkNet Career Development Program. The WorkNet program,6 based on the premise that “no one is 

unemployable,” develops skills and provides a foundation of knowledge that allows for an individual to make his 

or her desired career a reality. 

The Wilkinson Center adapted WorkNet for its newly launched CareerWorks program. Candidates enter this 

program exclusively by referral from other partner agencies, and the Wilkinson Center requests that referred 

individuals be job ready when they enter the program. These partner agencies specialize in and address a 

variety of issues, such as addiction, abuse, and mental health. Participants are primarily women and all are the 

sole means of support for one or more children. Most participants are also homeless or in imminent danger of 

becoming homeless. 

6

For more information about WorkNet, visit www.worknetsolutions.com
14 Partnership in Action

Due to the intensity of the program, only ten participants are selected for the program each month. Through 

intensive support and developing a positive work ethic, hurdles such as physical and/or mental health, substance 

abuse, criminal records, and childcare are addressed prior to launching a job search. Clients that are determined 

to be most job ready are referred directly to the One-Stop Career Center for services and immediate placement 

assistance, as the One-Stop Career Center is particularly helpful for those clients who are both job ready and 

capable of conducting self-paced and self-directed job searches. Approximately 100 participants are enrolled 

in the CareerWorks program each year and each receives two years of follow-up consultation to support their 

success. 

The CareerWorks program engages participants in intense selfevaluation. The CareerWorks workshops become each participant’s 

job for four weeks. They come to learn which job or career path 

will align with past personal and work experiences and how they 

can attain employment in that or a related field. They are coached 

in the culture of business and learn how to present themselves 

honestly and positively. They follow the curriculum and work 

through detailed self-assessments, such as “Marketing Yourself on 

Paper” and “Marketing Yourself in Person.” 

The CareerWorks program also provides participants vouchers 

from a local thrift store to purchase professional attire for 

interviews and employment. A volunteer fashion consultant even 

comes in to assist with coordinating their selections. 

The CareerWorks program reports a 70 percent placement rate for 

graduates in careers where they are highly motivated to succeed. 

They also have a much better understanding of the language and 

culture of business and are equipped with tools to contribute to 

the success of their employers. 

The Wilkinson Center has also developed a mutually beneficial 

relationship with a local staffing company All Star Staffing 

Services in Dallas, Texas. All Star Staffing has strong employer 

ties and specializes in working with individuals with criminal 

records or other significant barriers to finding traditional 

employment. 

The Wilkinson Center believes they are building the foundation 

for a long-term strategic relationship. All Star Staffing has hired 

or found work for many CareerWorks program graduates to date, 

some of whom are hired by All Star itself until an appropriate 

position opens up. These graduates benefit from a few additional 

months to develop their talents and work on their employability 

skills. 

The CareerWorks program is funded through a combination of public and private grants and individual 

donations. In addition, the CareerWorks program is attempting to develop a partnership with the local 

Workforce Investment Board, either as an approved provider or through some other means.

“What can you do for my business?”

At some point any good employer will 

ask you this question. You should be able 

to answer convincingly in less than three 

minutes by describing two to three specific 

services that will meet the specific needs of 

that employer.

“An agency needs to be 

flexible and willing to 

embrace new methods 

of service delivery when 

working with people who 

have extensive barriers to 

employment. Creating a 

program that helps build 

self-esteem and allows our 

students to dream has made 

a world of difference in 

our success rate for finding 

long-term sustainable 

employment.”

—Clayton Wright, Program 

Director, The Wilkinson Center 
Examples of Employer/Faith-Based and Community Organization Partnership 15

The SOURCE

Executive Director

Andrew Brower 

The SOURCE

1409 Buchanan Ave. SW

Grand Rapids, MI 49507

(616) 452-5295

andrew@grsource.org

www.grsource.org

Organizational Background

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, over the last six years, there have been several connected efforts to address the 

challenge of lifting low-wage, entry-level workers out of poverty, while increasing the retention of these workers 

and thereby reducing employer costs. 

As part of its Reducing Poverty Initiative, the Delta Strategy, a community problem-solving nonprofit 

organization, established the Employer Practices Group—a collaborative of business, nonprofit, and 

governmental organization leaders. This group developed a concept for an employee resource center sponsored 

by businesses and supported by the resources of nonprofit, government, and educational institutions. The goal of 

this model was to enhance the retention of low-wage workers and the development of all workers. 

Butterball Farms, one of the members of the Employer Practices Group, took the lead in bringing this concept 

to life. The company enlisted eight other employers on the near southwest side of Grand Rapids to explore the 

possibility of implementing the concept as a model program called the SOURCE—Southwest Organizations 

Uniting Resources for Community and Employees. 

These workforce efforts also produced the Welfare-to-Career Program (W2C) initiated in a local engineering 

company, Cascade Engineering. As a result of the W2C program, former welfare recipients have made 

significant progress toward economic self-sufficiency and are no longer receiving government benefits. 

Employers are also benefiting from the W2C program. Butterball Farms, a food processor, adapted many of the 

practices and reported more than a 400 percent reduction in turnover. 

Research indicates employers will work with intermediaries such as faith and 

community-based organizations when hiring workers if that organization can:

- Vouch for the employee candidate;

- Screen and assess potential workers; and

- Provide mentors and resources to assist with personal issues and barriers to 

 employment, such as childcare, transportation, housing, personal financial 

 management, and physical and mental health.

7

Based on research conducted by the Center for Workforce Preparation of the U.S. Chamber for Commerce
16 Partnership in Action

Employer Partnership

Companies involved in the SOURCE coalition draw many of their employees from economically depressed 

neighborhoods around their offices and plants. They were determined to learn from the experience of the 

Welfare-to-Career program to improve both hiring and retention. Critical elements of the SOURCE that 

produced successful results included:

• A comprehensive employment assessment to ensure all barriers have been identified and addressed prior to 

placement and continue to be resolved throughout employment;

• A comprehensive company orientation program immediately upon hire to help assimilate the individual into 

the company;

• Assignment of trained job coaches/mentors to ease the transition for employees;

• A career planning session with an identified and appropriate company official; and

• The creation of an atmosphere of inclusion, encouragement, and support led by the company’s CEO.

Employers benefit most directly through reduced turnover as it saves on advertising, screening and training 

costs. SOURCE estimates that this translates into cost-savings of $2000-$3,000 for each entry-level turnover. In 

addition, the employers’ collaboration allows them to leverage resources to provide more for their employees. 

Pooled resources allows them to provide more training opportunities than if they pursued training for employees 

individually. Health services, such as flu shots, insurance, and employee assistance programs, are offered on-site 

in an attempt to increase efficiency and reduce costs. 

Member Companies include: 

• Butterball Farms, Inc. • Decc Co.

• Hekman Furniture • Pridgeon & Clay

• Richwood Industries • Spectrum Industries

• TAS Solutions • Vi-Chem Corporation

Affiliates include:

• Cascade Engineering

• Michigan Department of Human Services

• Delta Strategy

• Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids

• Kent Regional 4 Cs

The SOURCE is based on geographic proximity of the businesses and maximizes the contributions of various 

local entities. Community-based organizations, such as Goodwill and Hope Network, prepare workers for 

employment at SOURCE companies. The Michigan Department of Human Services arranged to provide 

additional staff to help service the 2,600 employees among these companies. In addition, Grand Rapids 

Community College provides job skills training on-site for these employees, and Kent County Coordinated 

Child Care works with referrals from the SOURCE. Further, Michigan State University Kent Extension offers 

on-site financial skills training to any interested employees. 

Goodwill Industries originally became the fiscal agent for The SOURCE, providing key administrative and 

financial services and eliminating the cost associated with creating a brand new nonprofit organization in 

the community. The original nine businesses provided start-up funding and in-kind support, and regional 

foundations and philanthropists have contributed additional funding. The Delta Strategy is in the process of 

developing plans for up to five adaptation/replication sites. The Delta Strategy is also exploring an industryspecific application in the healthcare sector and a population-specific application for the ex-prisoner community.
Examples of Employer/Faith-Based and Community Organization Partnership 17

Building Employer Partnerships: Critical Steps for FBCOs

• Educate yourself about workforce issues: 

o Local and regional labor market information and projections 

o Anticipated growth industries and occupations

o Which industries and companies offer career ladders

o What skill and employment gaps exist in the community

• Know your employer partners by finding out about the employer’s:

o Internal culture and work environment

o Critical bottom-line concerns

o Cost and rate of turnover

o Job conditions, such as full or part-time, start and end times, whether there are shifts or split

shifts, whether work is done in a team or independently, and wages and benefits

o Growth and advancement opportunities and career paths

• Know your organization and your capabilities. Be honest 

with yourself and your employer partner about what you can 

provide and deliver and do not over-promise. 

• Partner with credible organizations to convene leaders and 

to facilitate collaboration across business, government, and 

nonprofit sectors. This could include representatives from the 

local Workforce Investment Board, One-Stop Career Center, 

United Way, Chamber of Commerce, or a faith or communitybased organization.

• Enlist other nonprofit organizations as partners. Their 

services are instrumental to addressing all barriers. If 

nonprofit organizations believe that one entity is dominating 

the collaboration, they may not participate.

• Develop quantitative and qualitative baseline measures with 

the ability to compare turnover to previous experience. These 

measures should include factors of interest to all stakeholders 

and potential funders.

• Seek diverse funding from the business community, 

foundations, public sector, and other sources to help ensure 

sustainability. 

Cautions

• Building these kinds of partnerships 

take time. Trust takes time to 

develop, but it is essential. Be patient.

• The lack of real willingness to 

work together will jeopardize any 

partnership.

• Do not lose sight of your shared 

goals—value for employers, 

employees, and the nonprofit 

organization. 
U.S. Department of Labor

200 Constitution Avenue N.W.

Washington, DC 20210

www.dol.gov