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Interfaith Network of Scottsdale

In this issue:

Nominations for Frances Young Community Heroes Award
Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan
Back to School Program
Scottsdale Job Network
A hurricane survivor story…matching funds needed
Lutheran Preparedness Resources
Job Announcement for Case Management

(Attached is a calendar for Youth Activities for July through December!)

Nominations for Frances Young Community Heroes Award
Nominations are currently being accepted for the Frances Young Community Heroes awards. This program serves to recognize those whose deeds have benefited Scottsdale through volunteerism, random acts of kindness, mentoring, etc.

Nomination deadline is 5 PM, August 4. Nomination forms are available at city recreation and citizen service centers and public libraries. You can request one by calling (480) 441-0933. You can also nominate someone online: http://www.gdc4s.com/communityheroes.

Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan
In the mid 1980’s, 33,000 young boys and girls 5 to 7 years old were forced to flee from their villages in Sudan by a civil war. Less than one-third survived and became known as the Lost Boys. In 2001 the United States relocated 3,800 Lost Boys and 89 Lost Girls to America, with Phoenix becoming home to the largest population. To help them adjust to a new culture and to life in a new country, the AZ Lost Boys Center was established. There are now more than 550 of these Lost Boys and Girls now in their mid-twenties, living in the Valley, the largest single population of Lost Boys in the country. An estimated thirty of them live, work and go to school in Scottsdale. Over 200 volunteers work with 4 full-time staff at the Center in Phoenix.

Specific activities that volunteers might assist in are:
· life skills training;
· sports and recreation;
· employment assistance;
· fund raising;
· mental health counseling; and
· mentoring.

For more information, visit www.azlostboyscenter.org or call 602-262-2300. The Center is located at 1918 W. Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ 85009

VISTA DEL CAMINO BACK TO SCHOOL PROGRAM
August 15 & 16, 2006

Each year in August the City of Scottsdale’s Vista del Camino Back to School Program assists over 500 Scottsdale children in need. Vista del Camino is seeking donations of new clothing, jeans, socks, underwear, shoes, backpacks and school supplies so these children can go back to school with pride.

Clothing is needed in all sizes for youth from kindergarten through high school. Hair stylists are also being sought to provide haircuts on August 14th. Monetary donations are appreciated and checks may be made payable to Vista del Camino. Donations are needed by August 11th.

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE IN DONATION DROP OFF SITE:

Prior to July 27th donations will be accepted at:

Vista del Camino, 7700 E. Roosevelt, Scottsdale, Arizona 85257

After July 27th Vista will move to a new location and donations will be accepted at 7375 E. 2nd St (Southwest corner of Drinkwater Blvd and 2nd St at the former Civic Center Senior Center)

Donations will also be accepted at Via Linda Senior Center, 10440 E. Via Linda

For more information, please call Pat at 480-312-0063

YOUR CONTRIBUTION CAN HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF A CHILD! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
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City of Scottsdale families wishing to enroll their children in this program can contact Vista del Camino at 480-312-2323 after June 15th to schedule a screening appointment.
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Scottsdale Job Network

Scottsdale Job Network: a network of community-minded professionals who volunteer their business expertise and job search experience to support the career transitions of their neighbors. Membership is open to all in need of employment transition support. Attendance is required at one meeting to become a member.

Meetings

Meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of each month. We meet at and use space donated by Mountain Valley Church, 17800 N. Perimeter Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Job seekers are offered the opportunity for networking, learning new (or refining old) job seeking skills, and working with people who genuinely care about you and your job search.

At our meetings you have the opportunity to share your needs and get individual attention from the guest speaker and other professionals attending the meeting. Often connections are made and individual support is given as requested or required by the job seeker. What sets our meetings apart are the special connections you’ll make and the personal help you’ll receive that will support you in your job search, and more.

Resume Reviews

On the third Wednesday of each month, from 9:00-9:30 AM, before our meeting, a representative from the Resume Writers Council of Arizona will be available to review resumes. This is another free service and one that helps people in career transition to prepare for their search.

Yahoo Group

This is our closed online resource that allows members to stay in contact between meetings. Members can use Yahoo to request information from others in the group, post job leads and share job search articles or information.

Web site

Additional resources are provided online through our website, including resources for basic needs, links to key job boards, articles that have helped others, a list of volunteer opportunities, a reading list and more.

Volunteering

Whether you are a current job seeker or you are working and want to help people in job transition, there is a place for you to volunteer. As we grow, member participation is essential. It helps establish a stronger support program for those who follow you. We encourage you to take part in the operations of the program in whatever way you can. See our website for ways to get involved!

Open Invitation!

Anyone interested in the support we provide is welcome. There are no costs for participation.

Scottsdale Job Network is not a job placement forum, and is not able to help those with an immediate need for work. We do, however, provide the means and opportunities to meet and work with people who support each other during employment transition for mutual gain, support and success.

Wednesday, July 19
9:00—9:30 A.M. – Resume Reviews
9:30—11:30 A.M. - Meeting

Guest speaker: Eric Walton, Chief Operating Officer
Camisa Technologies, Inc. http://www.camisatech.com

How to Keep Knocking on the Door: Job seekers are consistently challenged to figure out how to stay foremost in the minds of people they have talked with while networking or interviewing. This session will cover the post-networking communication and the post-interview communication. Techniques will be presented that will help the job seeker to find new, creative ways to contact employers, professionally.

Meeting space is offered to us free of charge and we meet at:

Mountain Valley Church

17800 N. Perimeter Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85260

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE

Scottsdale Job Network

Supporting workers in transition

AUG 2 Harriet Moser, Franchise Consultant, Franchise Resource Company

“Franchise 101 – Is Franchise Ownership for You?”

Those interested in exploring entrepreneurial options to corporate employment will find this session valuable and informative. The advantages and pitfalls of franchise ownership are addressed as well as “hot” trends, myths, investment and income expectations and how to evaluate the over 2000 franchise businesses available in the market today.

AUG 16 Maria Wojtczak, Training Consultant, Power of One Consulting

“Exploring Your Passion and Putting it to Work”

This mini-workshop is designed to help individuals identify their personal strengths, talents and preferences. This information can prove to be useful in opening up job search options for participants.

SEPT 6 Amanda Wright, Recruitment/Retention Specialist, ASU

“Your Bachelor Degree: The Ticket to Becoming a Teacher”

Learn about programs at ASU for individuals who have a bachelor’s degree in something other than education, but who want to teach. ASU’s most popular program allows people to become full-time teachers in as little as one calendar year.

ALSO Doug Bruhnke, VP Sales & Marketing, DataPreserve, Inc.

“Fun and Success with Networking”

SEPT 20 Martha Rockwell, Career Coach, A+ Resumes & Career Coaching

“Methods and Strategies”

This workshop explains the different methods and strategies that job seekers employ during their job search. Some methods work better than others. The goal is to explain the difference between passive and active strategies--how to incorporate all strategies into your job search--and how to schedule them for best results

CONTACT US to share job leads, volunteer or with questions:

Email: info@scottsdalejobnet.com

Phone: (480) 513-1491

Web: www.scottsdalejobnet.com

A hurricane survivor story…matching funds needed

All Robert wanted was to get back to normal after being evacuated from his lifelong home in New Orleans…finding a full time job, making some friends, finding a place to call home. He found a job, then another, but found the anxiety and depression from being a hurricane and flood survivor coupled with heart problems were overwhelming and he could not handle the stress of these jobs. When his case was transferred to Lutheran Social Ministry of the Southwest things began to improve. He was assisted in completing his SBA loan application and developing a personal recovery plan. LSMS provides a safety net, a person he can talk to and assistance with making his plan a reality. He sees his doctors regularly and got a good job in his area of expertise. Funding helped Robert to get into better housing more accessible to transportation to work. Funding helped him with medical bills and helped to provide him with clothes for work and other necessities. Funding helped move Robert from “survivor” to “employee”, a valued part of the work force of Arizona and a new citizen of Arizona who plans to make Phoenix his permanent home.

Dear Friends,

The cameras and reporters are gone, but the work continues to assist those who were affected by last year's hurricanes and were evacuated to Arizona. We have approximately 2,800 people who are now here, many of whom have stabilized their situation with new jobs or education. About 10%, however, of any disaster population will be unable to stabilize their lives without some assistance. These individuals become part of what is called Long Term Recovery efforts which follow any emergency or disaster. Case managers help access governmental and charitable resources coupled with a specific plan to assist the family in their recovery. If in drawing up that plan there are unmet needs those requests are submitted to the Resource Committee of the Long Term Recovery group. Some of the unmet needs might include housing, transportation, job-related expenses, and emergency medicines. No money is given, however, without a recovery plan in place.

The Arizona Ecumenical Council has been asked to collect funds for these unmet needs and to start this fund every new dollar we are able to raise up to $50,000 will be matched by the Legacy Foundation. We hope to find additional grants to help us raise enough money to responsibly assist these individuals. So we are asking that you personally, or as a congregation, or as a group from your work consider contributing to this Long Term Recovery effort. Checks may be submitted to Legacy Connection, 2999 North 44th Street, Ste 530, Phoenix, AZ 85018 or through the Legacy website at www.bhhslegacy.org/legacyconnection. Please make checks out to “Legacy Connection” and put AEC/Long Term Recovery in the memo line. We will keep you posted on how we are doing on our website, www.aecunity.net .

LUTHERAN DISASTER RESOURCE

PSYCHOLOGICAL PREPAREDNESS

Being prepared psychologically is as important as physical preparation. Fear is one of the major challenges we face during an emergency or traumatic event. Having a disaster plan reduces that fear because you have thought through what you need to do. Practicing your plan develops confidence in your ability to handle situations as they arise. The ability to remain calm in the midst of chaos comes from confidence in yourself or in your faith or others around you who are calm. Prepare to be a calm leader, one that others look to, by preparing yourself now for the disaster, emergency or traumatic events possible in your area. Disaster preparedness information can be found at www.ready.gov or 1-800-BE-READY. If you have any questions, please contact Lutheran Social Ministry of the Southwest at 520.748.2300, ljester@lsmsaz.org or Tempie Beaman at 323.937.5141, tbeaman@lsmsaz.org in Southern California.

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT FOR CASE MANAGER

Lutheran Social Ministry of the Southwest (LSMS) is looking for Case Managers for our Katrina Aid Today Project. Under the supervisor of the Disaster Response Coordinator, the Case Manager works with individuals and families who were part of Hurricane Katrina and have evacuated to Arizona to establish an Individual or Family Recovery Plan, works with disaster response organizations to provide referrals to resources for unmet needs designated in the recovery plan, maintains records for data collection, and prioritizes cases. A background in Human Services and experience in case management is preferred. The ability to communicate effectively with clients and Disaster Response Team is essential. The position is based at the LSMS office located at Mt of Olives Lutheran Church at 3546 E. Thomas Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85018. If interested call Debra Sheff at 602-840-3081. Complete job description is available. Salary depending on experience.