In 1981 the residents of Jubilee Housing, a low-income program in Adams Morgan, formed the Committee of Compassion to address residents’ emergency needs. Employment was high on the list because everyone saw that living with hope and dignity meant finding a way to be employed. So Jubilee Jobs was born to help underserved and unemployed residents find work. Offering job preparation and placement services with long-term retention support (two years or more), Jubilee helps those unfamiliar with the process--among them, ex-offenders, homeless persons, immigrants and refugees--to go out, get a job, and keep it. It also offers a valuable service to employers by providing well-screened and ready-to-work candidates at no cost either to the candidate or the employer. Job counseling, workshops, help with resumés, and support for applicants as they go on interviews, are all available. To reinforce retention, employed applicants attend a monthly Job Friends meeting or dinner to share achievements, challenges, and goals while building a community of support. Of course the ultimate goal is movement from entry-level jobs into careers--the real path from poverty to self-sufficiency. Jubilee has placed over 18,000 people in the past 27 years. Your philanthropic engagement means an independent future for hundreds of families a year.

Terry Flood, Executive Director 2712 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 202-667-8970 www.jubileejobs.org