The Hope Center at Pullen — a faith community of hospitality, affirmation and justice — strives to remove barriers to opportunity through personal and community partnerships.
Programs at The Hope Center at Pullen
Traditional job training programs are not equipped to address many of the core problems that pose barriers to meaningful employment and perpetuate homelessness. In addition to the lack of stable housing, barriers for chronically homeless adults can include lack of reliable transportation, depression, substance abuse, a criminal record, inadequate healthcare management, and/or limited education. Our programs use a compassionate, practical approach that identifies and addresses the issues affecting individuals and make a lasting difference.
The Hope Center at Pullen currently offers two programs through the commitment of volunteers.
Job Readiness Program
The Job Readiness Program serves 20 chronically homeless or marginally-housed men and women in Wake County who are struggling to recover from poverty and related issues, such as substance abuse and undiagnosed or untreated mental health issues. Each program participant is connected with a mentor from the community who is trained and supported by program staff to be a life guide, encourager, and advocate. This program has been designed to meet the unique needs of each individual enrolled, and program components that make this possible include the following:
- an assessment conducted at the time of intake with a licensed mental health counselor;
- development of a customized life plan that outlines short and long term goals and strategies to achieve those goals;
- a mentor who is matched with the program participant because their resources or knowledge align with the needs of the participant;
- seamless case management services offered by the program manager that links them to community resources such as housing, mental or physical health care, substance abuse treatment, legal guidance, continuing education or vocational programs, and employment development services;
- a full year to be actively enrolled in the program with follow up services that are established at the closure of the year.
This combination of support and services addresses the diverse needs of impoverished individuals, and empowers them to achieve their full potential as productive members of our community.
JobLink Access Point
Being a JobLink Access Point means we can serve more people - in addition to participants in the Job Readiness Program - providing tools and advice for self-directed job searches.
This program provides job seekers who lack job search skills and computer access a convenient place to conduct online employment searches. Our Hillsborough Street location gives people who live transiently near downtown a walk-in, no cost neighborhood site.
Volunteers offer clients basic guidance to explore job opportunities, create resumes, submit applications and prepare for interviews. We average 65 visits a month.
The JobLink Access Point is open to any one during these hours of operation:
- Tuesday and Thursday: 12:30 — 5:00 pm
Note: Our program is part of the JobLink Career Center System operated by the Capital Area Workforce Development Board. Through this partnership we are part of an extensive collection of community agencies that offer high quality, customized services to job seekers and businesses in convenient locations.