On November 26, 2007, Clare Fleming offered hope to a group of ex-offenders at a WorkSource – Career Center .  Fleming is the Executive Director of Ventana del Soul, a non-profit coffee house, cultural center, and training provider in East Austin that specializes in helping youth and adults with disadvantages gain valuable skills.  She was at the Career Center to speak to a group of Project RIO* clients and discuss the opportunities that Ventana del Soul had to offer.  These opportunities include On-the-Job-Training at the café, where they would learn every aspect of food service operations:  cash handling, food preparation, and food handling.  In addition, she informed them that "if they do really well, they can advance to shift manager."  And therein lays the hope.

For many ex-offenders, the need is so great to get a job – any job – that they cannot afford the time necessary to increase their skills and improve their job outlooks.  For many, a low-wage, low-skill job is their only option.  Advancing to higher levels of responsibility, and consequently, higher wages, can be a difficult proposition when it's difficult to even get an interview.  The pressures of parole responsibilities and the stigma of a past incarceration can make it difficult to attend training or get a high-paying job. 

However, Ventana del Soul is working to change that.  By offering On-the-Job-Training to ex-offenders, Ventana del Soul is offering experience and skills training, enabling them to land high-wage positions at area restaurants that trust Ventana del Soul's methods.  When those restaurants see that a candidate has skills, solid experience, and a history of success, they're much less likely to focus on past mistakes.  

Johnny Viera, Jr. is one example of how a little opportunity can go a long way.  Viera attended the presentation by Clare Fleming, and was interested.  Viera had been recently released and was looking for an opportunity to get his life back on track.  He spoke to Fleming and was scheduled to begin work the very next day.   WorkSource was able to provide some supportive services that enabled him to purchase work clothes and other necessities.  He arrived the next day ready to work, learn, and succeed.

And succeed he did. Viera not only completed the training program, he excelled. According to Fleming, he is one of the "best" employees they have ever had.  He went on to achieve certification in Food Service Management.  He was able to put his new certification, and his Spanish-language skills, to work as a trainer, to help others achieve Food Handling Certification.  Fleming calls him "the best job coach" around, and he puts that skill to good use mentoring disadvantaged youth in his spare time.

Johnny Viera's success is a credit to his initiative, hard work, and dedication. WorkSource and Ventana del Soul are providing valuable opportunities through the Project RIO program (among others), but without the willingness to work hard and make sacrifices, success is hard to come by.  Find out about Project RIO and all of WorkSource's employment services here.  Visit Ventana del Soul for a coffee, or a life-changing experienced, here.