High poverty rate triggers job fair

For Immediate Release 
April 17, 2018

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – On Saturday, April 28, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington (CCDA), along with Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Mount Vernon, will co-sponsor its first Community Job and Resource Fair, due to an overwhelming need to help people rise out of poverty in one area of Fairfax County.

Section “2” of the interactive chart is Mount Vernon and shows the following for 2016:

-Overall unemployment in Fairfax County is 2.4%, but for those living in poverty in the Mount Vernon area, the unemployment rate is more than double that: 6.5%

-Of the 8,868 people living in poverty in Mount Vernon, 3,120 or 35.2% are children.

-In Mount Vernon, 15.7% living in poverty work full time; 20.8% are part-time workers.

Details

When:           Saturday, April 28 , 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.  
Where:         Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 8710 Mount Vernon Highway, Alexandria

Refreshments and child care will be available.

“Employers are coming ready to hire. This fair is linking local business partners who want help the community to potential employees who are seeking to better their situation,” says Art Bennett, President and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington.

The job fair will have a wide spectrum of positions for every job seeker out there – from customer service opportunities to entry level and management opportunities in a variety of fields. Also, several community agencies will have resource tables at the fair to help job seekers recharge their resumes and update their Linked-in profiles. Also provided will be free interview attire for men and women and a lesson in presenting job skills during an interview.

In addition to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington and Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Opportunity Neighborhood Mount Vernon and Bridges to Independence will co-sponsor the job fair.