Job Training / Employment

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Job Training / Employment

Job Training/Employment

More San Diegans experiencing homelessness cite employment as a key factor in ending their homelessness than they do affordable housing, according to this study. For this reason and more, the Lucky Duck Foundation has invested more than $2.5 million in support of more than 20 different job training and employment opportunities to help individuals avoid or end homelessness. We put employment dollars to work where there is the greatest need, strongest outcomes, and best bang for the buck.

Programs include but are not limited to culinary training, community beautification, food rescue, trash cleanup, certificate programs in the construction, healthcare, technology and manufacturing industries, access to college education, and more.

More than 1,000 individuals have benefited and each program is designed to give individuals experiencing homelessness an opportunity to improve their earning power, employability, and housing.

One employment program hires Salvation Army shelter residents to be food rescue route drivers by operating routes provided by Feeding San Diego. This three-pronged collaborative effort has rescued more than 670,000 pounds of food, and nearly all graduates have secured full-time employment and are still housed. The program was featured nationally on Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News and Fox News.

Another unique and effective employment program is Timmy’s Place, a pizzeria and print shop which trains and employs youth suffering from homelessness at a youth homeless center in downtown San Diego.

Union Tribune coverage: Homeless youths learning job skills at San Diego pizzeria, print shop

Another example is Work for Hope, which helps individuals leave the streets, overcome addiction, and gain employment beautifying city-owned parks throughout Chula Vista.

KPBS: Formerly homeless man gets people housed and off the streets in Chula Vista