MOUNT VERNON — KnoxWorks is quietly making a difference in the community.
Men and women coming from poverty or coming through an addiction recovery program are finding hope, and for some, jobs as they are gradually overcoming barriers to their employment. Referrals are coming from the court system, including MERIT Court and the Alpha Omega House. Other referrals come from Opportunity Knox, Winter Sanctuary, Interchurch, Individuals, area churches, and self-referrals.
Cheyenne Kuhn and Sheila Mills, TouchPointe employees, facilitate the KnoxWorks classes.
Jill, (not her real name) was referred to KnoxWorks through Joel Carter, a probation officer of the Municipal Court. She had a felony from a few years ago and had been clean from heroin for over two years. She was receiving public assistance and in return was volunteering at a Goodwill store. She was part of a KnoxWorks class and had gained much self-confidence.
When an opening became available at the store, she applied and was hired. She came to class the next day very excited about her news. Then the company did a background check and realized her felony record. Because of company policy, she was denied the position. She was disappointed and dejected.
Dan Humphrey, Executive Director of TouchPointe, contacted Tim Young, the CEO of Goodwill of Licking/Knox Counties and together were able to overcome the obstacles and allow Jill to become successfully employed.
The future is brighter for this single mother and her son. She is excited to have the job and is off public assistance. KnoxWorks will continue to work with Jill. This is an entry level position, as she gains experience and builds a “track record” of being punctual, productive, and customer oriented, other better paying job opportunities will open up for her and KnoxWorks will be there to support her.
KnoxWorks is financially supported through private donations and is pleased to have a $35,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Mount Vernon and Knox County to help launch this program in our community. Recently a $4,000 Ariel Foundation grant was awarded to provide software to better track the clients served by TouchPointe and KnoxWorks. This funding will also provide training for TouchPointe employees to input the data and extract information for annual reports, grant application and for other community uses.
KnoxWorks operates as a component of TouchPointe, a faith-based non-profit that is about offering hope to the hurting and developing relationships that lead to a more healthy community. The KnoxWorks philosophy is to “teach a man to fish rather than give a man a fish.”
For further information regarding KnoxWorks, contact Cheyenne Kuhn, KnoxWorks Coordinator at 740-485- 0951.
