Pepsico Funded Job Resource Center for Homeless Women Officially Opens at South Bronx Shelter
PURCHASE, N.Y., May 1, 2019 -- Today, PepsiCo employees are hosting a workshop for women living in Win’s (formerly Women in Need) South Bronx shelter to help them with resume writing, interviewing and other job search skills. The workshop is being held in a new job resource center at the site, which was funded by the PepsiCo Foundation. The Foundation’s grant enabled Win to purchase new computers, hire job specialists and create a dedicated space for residents to focus on finding employment.
Win is the largest provider of shelter for homeless women and children in New York City, and the new job resource center is located on Powers Avenue in the Bronx, the nation’s poorest congressional district, where 1 in 3 women – more than 220,000 – are living below the poverty line. Citywide, nearly 60,000 people are homeless, and over 70 percent are families with children. But few New Yorkers recognize the acute impact of homelessness on families: a new poll released last week by Win and HarrisX showed that New Yorkers inaccurately believe that the city’s homeless are primarily single adults (62 percent). The poll also revealed that New Yorkers strongly agree (92 percent) that more needs to be done to combat the city’s homelessness crisis.
To help homeless women secure stable employment and a steady income, Win offers residents employment counseling and classes in financial education, interview preparedness, resume writing and budgeting through its Income Building Program. Last year, the program helped 3,175 women achieve “employment gains” – such as securing a job, moving to a full-time position, earning a raise or getting benefits. PepsiCo has been a long-term partner of Win and has donated more than $1 million to the organization since 2014.
“Stable employment is a critical component on a family’s path to securing a permanent home,” said Christine Quinn, President and CEO of Win. “We’re grateful for PepsiCo’s generosity, which has helped Win to equip mothers with the skills they need to thrive in today’s workforce and break the cycle of homelessness for good. With the launch of this job resource center, Win will be able to provide more moms with the opportunity to learn skills that can help them find well-paying, long-term employment opportunities...