Join Better Family Life’s Empowerment Week for self-care, an outdoor resource fair, and a hiring event with 30 employers. May 14th-17th.
It promises to be three days of planting seeds of inner confidence, and personal resolve to help people gain control of their lives like never before.
The power-packed three days are dubbed “Empowerment Week 2024” and Better Family Life, Inc. (BFL) hopes participants come away with a heightened sense of empowerment to reach their full potential.
“This is a great source of empowerment for our community to uplift and encourage them, to arm them with the resources they need to become sustainable and achieve in so many areas,” says Ida Roundtree, Senior Director of BFL’s Workforce Development program, which is sponsoring Empowerment Week.
Better Family Life, Inc. (BFL) is a community development 501(c)(3) corporation that builds strong families and vibrant communities by providing hope, comprehensive services, and meaningful opportunities.
The goal of Empowerment Week is to help change the lives of people of all ages. The week will include workshops and events to address well-being through self-care and financial literacy. There will also be plenty of community resources, and employment opportunities will be available during the week.
Day 1 opens on Tuesday, May 14th with “Self-Care Day” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The self-care session focuses on managing the stress and challenges of everyday living and features a roundtable discussion.
“Don’t Be A Superhero; TAKE OFF YOUR CAPE,” Roundtree says. “It’s no secret that self-care is important to maintaining overall health. But finding time to nourish your mind, body, and spirit can be a challenge. This workshop will provide tips and coping skills on having compassion for you!”
Day 2, Wednesday, May 15th is the “Youth Empowerment Summit,” where area high school students will be taught about career exploration, soft skills, employment opportunities, leadership skills, and financial literacy.
Day 3, Thursday, May 16th is the “Workforce Tailgate,” the community resource fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 25 to 30 vendors such as Missouri Family Support Division, Washington University bringing info on apprenticeships, Mission St. Louis, Archwell Health, Behavior Health Response and others.
Day 4, Friday, May 17th Empowerment Week concludes with the “Workforce Hiring” event. Employers include Spectrum, Missouri Department of Transportation, Washington University, St. Louis Public Schools, First Student Bus Service, Deer Valley, Walmart, St. Louis Zoo, Hazelwood School District, Special School District and others.
The Self-Care, Youth Summit, and Workforce Hiring events will be staged at BFL headquarters, 5415 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112, between Union and Goodfellow boulevards. The Workforce Tailgate Community Resource Fair will be held on the parking lot of Skate King, 2700 Kienlen Ave. St. Louis, MO 63121 at Nature Bridge Avenue.
Workforce Development has six offices throughout the St. Louis region offering short-term training to employment programs including resources and services geared towards assisting individuals impacted (directly or indirectly) by violence. Assistance programs that fall under the workforce unit include:
The Missouri Work Assistance Program (MWA) program is a mandatory participation program that assists individuals receiving
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) with training, employment assistance, childcare and supportive services.
The SkillUP program is voluntary and assists those receiving
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits with similar resources as MWA.
Roundtree says Workforce Development serves a lower-income population receiving some type of government assistance. Plus, the participants in the workforce program need resources for school, money for school, and meaningful employment.
“So, when they come in, they’ve got the world on their shoulders,” she says. “They just don’t need a job, cut a career, a livable wage that’s going to help them become sustainable. When you meet someone you identify what their needs are, helps them connect the dots, and get them rolling.”
According to data from BFL about Workforce Development’s impact, more than 7,000 community residents have been served over the past three years. Nearly 900 have been successfully placed into jobs. About 1 million has been invested in education and training towards building the future workforce. A 5-year partnership with Spectrum is projected to yield nearly $500,000 in investments in communication technology at BFL.
For more information about BFL’s Workforce Development and Empowerment Week, call 314-367-3440 or visit www.BetterFamilyLife.org.
#EmpowermentWeek #JobFair #WorkforceOpportunities
