Women

“People are very supportive of each other at Project Place. We all come from different paths, but we are all here for the same goal, to become gainfully employed.”

Marybeth worked as a nurse for 35 years. Faced with domestic violence in her marriage, she was forced out of her apartment and found herself without a home two days before Christmas. She was left with only the clothes on her back. She acknowledges that “a lot of people don’t come back from that”. The situation certainly took a toll on her mental health. Marybeth lost her job during that time period and struggled to get back on her feet.

Marybeth stayed at the YWCA. She was there a few months back when she first heard about Project Place. Marybeth graduated from Project Place’s Work Ready program and began working at Working Opportunities for Women (WOW). While it was a new experience to be in food service, Marybeth enjoyed the hands-on-work. She also received her ServSafe certification and completed the National Customer Service exam through Project Place.

Overview

Women come to Project Place from many backgrounds. We provide a safe space, mentoring, education, and training to empower women experiencing poverty or homelessness. This includes women:

with work experience who had a lapse in employment and need a fresh start
just starting their careers who have no formal work experience
caring for children or working to reunite with children
looking for a safe space after experiencing domestic violence and/or other trauma
returning to the community after a period of incarceration
in recovery for substance use and mental health disorders

Our goal is to provide a path to employment and stability. Everyone is here to learn, grow and build a brighter future!

Services

Stabilization

After submitting an enrollment form, meet with a case manager to determine your strengths, areas to improve, conditions and circumstances, and which entry point you should start at.

SPARRC is a 4-week class that provides group meeting times, dedicated 1:1 case management time, and workshops that cover a range of helpful topics. By the end, participants should have the basic tools and support network to move into job training. The class is repeatable so even if more support is needed, you can always re-enroll.

Skill Development

Starting from the basics, we offer progressing levels of job training that put clients on a path towards employment with a livable wage. We start in the classroom and computer lab, teaching essential life and work skills. Then we move on to industry training, where we prepare for clients to test for national credentials. Finally, we offer transitional employment opportunities so clients can learn hands-on in a supportive environment. Read more about the path you could take here.

Career Development

We offer assessments, trainings, coaching and job placement services to help develop a career and learn the skills to advance past entry-level. Career Services works with local employers and educational organizations to find the most efficient ways to maximize career pathways.

Case Management

Meet with case managers 1:1 to come up with a plan to move forward. Case managers will help create a plan that outlines goals, supports, resources, and next steps to help each person find their own path.

Alumni Services

To help promote success, we stay connected for at least 2-years after programming, for as long as needed. If someone faces setbacks, needs extra support, wants to learn more skills, or just wants to stay in touch Project Place is always here to welcome them back.

Programs

Working Opportunities for Women (WOW) is a business run by Project Place that trains women with hands-on learning. Trainees learn versatile skills such as food production and sales. Along with that, we also offer opportunities for women to pursue non-traditional employment (such as truck driving) through our other enterprise programs, in mixed-gender environments. Learn more about these programs here.

Home Plate is an internship program where women practice food service skills. Home Plate trainees prepare daily meals for clients and guests out of the Project Place kitchen. They gain experience working in the kitchen and providing catering services.

Fill out an enrollment application