"No other place I've been to can compare with JVS. There are so many resources and they can help you with anything you need"

Condon Robertson
Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation

Sponsored by Catholic Healthcare West and
First Republic Bank

Born and raised in San Francisco, Condon suffered from substance abuse on and off for most of his adulthood. He entered three detox centers with little success until he rejoined St. Anthony’s Farm and has now been clean since June 2000. He was 43 when he turned his life around, moving out of his parent's house for the first time. “When I got to JVS, they taught me more about searching for work. Each job has specific information for getting people in that position–resumes, cover letters, follow-up letters, phone calls, networking, it’s just so much more to it than what I’d been doing before,” Condon says. He participated in JVS’ BEST program, now called the nonprofit job search program, which is a series of job search skills workshops.

In September 2005 he relocated to Curran House, a family housing project where he works as night manager. “Condon is a wonderful person and it all begins with his good nature, his reliability, and commitment,” says Don Falk, executive director, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC). “Condon is the kind of person who will come to work, and if there’s not something to do, he’ll pick up a mop or broom to make the place cleaner. He lives here and partly as a result of that, he takes tremendous pride in everything at Curran House, which is under the auspices of TNDC.”

Condon is working two other jobs besides the one at Curran House and attributes five job opportunities that have come his way to JVS. He is currently finishing two remaining courses to earn his general education degree.

"JVS provided me with the tools I need to go from a job to a career. Now I have a bright future to look forward to."

Mike Dang
Swords to Plowshares

Sponsored by California Pacific Medical Center
and Aramark

Mike, 27, came to JVS with a disability due to a tragic accident that caused orthopedic and mobility problems. Not only did he need a job that would accommodate his disabilities, but he also lacked sophisticated social skills in the workplace. The Vietnam native owes a lot to JVS but has certainly made the organization proud. He completed the Cisco training program in 2003, earning six college credits at City College of San Francisco. Taking advantage of the JVS JobLink program, catering to those with disabilities, he found a job with Swords to Plowshares, a local non-profit helping veterans return to civilian life.

Mike now works for Celestix, which builds network security appliances. He is responsible for supporting customers with technical issues. “If you want people with a good foundation and work ethic, Mike fits that bill to a tee,” says Celestix CEO Ravi Nagarkar. “I think Mike’s future is extremely bright in this company, and the sky’s the limit over here.  If Mike wants to take on other responsibilities in the company, we’re open to that.”

"When I came to the U.S., I didn't have computer, English or job search skills. JVS taught me all I needed to know to get started in the real world"

Viktoriya Zakharova
Schapiro-Thorn, Inc.

Sponsored by
Forest City Development and
Sterling Bank & Trust / Seligman Family Foundation

An emigrant from the Ukraine in 2000 and mother of a little girl, Viktoriya, 28, married a fellow Ukrainian who eventually sponsored her in the United States, but the marriage did not work out. With a child to support, she desperately needed a job.Tipped off by her friend, she found JVS, which helped her put a resume together and taught her how to hunt for a job. She also enrolled in a JVS office technology and communications skills course.

With newfound confidence and skills, Viktoriya obtained a position as a receptionist at Schapiro-Thorn, a boutique family law firm. Before long she jumped into the role of legal assistant/ junior paralegal. In addition, she assumed responsibility for billing, while the billing manager was out on maternity leave. Not only did she pick up new skills quickly, she also refined her English language proficiency through a JVS ESL course.

‘Viktoriya is special because she has a great work ethic. She’s very professional in everything she does. So whatever work you give her to do, you can count on her doing it really well. And I think that is her strongest suit, says Barbara Birkheart, vice president and finance manager, Schapiro-Thorn.

"JVS gave me the encouragement, the training and the opportunity to succeed."

Paul Biggs
Macy's West

Sponsored by Macy's West and
Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Paul Biggs is a name synonymous with reliability–he is an employee who continually steps up to the plate.  Starting in November 2005 as a part-time holiday hire, he quickly became full-time and was promoted to the position of Calvin Klein specialist.  A winner of nine awards for outstanding service at Macy’s, he has consistently increased his sales.

Paul, 18, has not always had it easy.  His father died when he was only three years old, and his mom passed away from a sudden heart attack five years ago. Responsible for his 13-year-old sister, he lives with a senior aged uncle.  In addition to these hardships, Paul has a serious reading disability.

JVS taught him vocational skills, how to approach a job interview, what to wear, what not to wear, how to sit, how not to sit and eye contact, Paul says. He also worked part-time at JVS, providing input for a newly formed youth council. “The skills that I learned at JVS are still affecting and helping me and shaping me through my journey at Macy’s, where I interact with customers,” Paul says.

Not only has Kaiser Permanente hired JVS clients in positions ranging from registered nurses to nursing assistants, security officers to environmental service personnel, but it also has helped create curricula for the JVS RN Refresher course and the Back-to-Work Program - Environmental Services training, a year-long program that trains dislocated garment workers and prepares them for custodial positions in healthcare facilities.

Additionally, Kaiser Permanente has supported the JVS Scholarship Program and developed the Jobs-to-Jobs Initiative–a training program for Kaiser Permanente employees whose jobs have been made obsolete due to the implementation of an online record system. The initiative trains employees for new positions within the organization.

“At JVS, it’s absolutely critical that we’re training our clients in the exact skills our employers are looking for,” says Abby Snay, JVS Executive Director.  “Kaiser’s involvement in the design of the environmental services training in our back to work program enabled us to understand the unique demands of these positions and train our clients in the skill sets our employers are looking for in acute care settings.”

Sponsored by Bank of America,
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.,
San Francisco Business Times

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