|
Hikers help homeless
set foot on employment trail
By Ambria Hammel, The Catholic Sun
March 20, 2008
GOODYEAR — Hundreds of hikers blazed a trail up Estrella Mountain to help homeless men and women set foot on the path to landing a new job.
The annual Hike for the Homeless, now in its 10th year, raised a record $54,000 March 1 for St. Joseph the Worker — a sum that accounts for more than 10 percent of the agency’s budget.
St. Joseph the Worker is a privately funded, nonprofit agency that helps the homeless and other low-income individuals in the Valley secure permanent employment and achieve self-sufficiency.
“We are thrilled at the results of this year’s hike,” said Amy Caffarello, executive director of St. Joseph the Worker.
She noted the community’s tremendous support. Some 850 hikers — compared to 500 last year — set foot on the six-mile, two-mile or half-mile trail at Estrella Mountain Regional Park.
“It is humbling to see how many invest in St. Joseph the Worker and allow us to put their money to great use,” Caffarello said.
Several groups of Catholic students and parishioners were among those who made such an investment.
Sean Lee hiked with a team of at least 20 parishioners from St. Thomas More in Glendale. He learned about St. Joseph the Worker when he toured the agency as part of a social justice program at the parish.
“I was really overcome with the fact that there was someone out in the community helping people help themselves,” Lee said. He added that the agency is about restoring dignity.
Lee knows there are many ways to help the homeless get through a day, but thinks the mission of St. Joseph the Worker supports clients in making long-lasting changes.
Before some of the hikers set foot on their six-mile trek, they heard from such a client. Dan told the group of the budgeting and goal-setting training he received from St. Joseph the Worker.
He landed there after being released from prison. The organization helped Dan enroll in an electrician’s apprenticeship program, a field he’s been excelling in for the last two years.
“We’re really helping people make a permanent, positive change in their lives,” Caffarello told the hikers.
St. Joseph the Worker helped more than 235 people secure permanent employment last year with nearly half of the jobs offering benefits. So far this fiscal year, it has helped almost 500 people with job-seeking and community resources plus skills training that addresses interviewing and presentation tips, as well as workplace etiquette.
Joanne Pfeiff, a parishioner at St. Mary Magdalene in Gilbert, and her family — spanning eight children and 21 grandchildren — wanted to help even more clients find work. They donated more than $3,600 to the agency as their Christmas gift and became an honorary hike sponsor.
St. Patrick Parish in Scottsdale was among several community and corporate sponsors of the event.
Roughly 20 members of the confirmation class at St. Vincent de Paul Parish got involved with the agency this year. They joined the hike as a service project and are interested in making the climb again next year.
Jim Manos, a Ss. Simon and Jude parishioner, joined the Hike for the Homeless through his employer. The Valley native only recently learned about St. Joseph the Worker and its role in helping the homeless and low-income individuals secure meaningful employment.
“With the way the economy is going, it’s going to become more important than ever,” Manos said.
|
