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Irving Cares Helps Irving Residents in Need
Sixty-year old
Tom has owned his home in Irving
for 16 years. He was recently laid off from his job, but had not yet
received an unemployment check. Tom knew he couldn’t pay his bill and
was looking for assistance when he called the City of Irving Water Utilities department.
The City referred him to Irving Cares where the Emergency Assistance
Program was able to assist Tom with his water bill, provide him with food,
and also refer him to the Jobs Program. He met with a Jobs Case
Worker who helped him update his resume and provided job leads. Tom
later wrote to the Senior Case Manager thanking her and her staff for
assistance.
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March 7, 2006
United Way,
To whom this may concern,
In September of 2005 I got laid off from my job
which left me looking for employment. I was un-employed for 2
months. I tried contacting old contacts of mine to find a job, I filled
out applications at numerous places, job hunted via the internet, I let a
number of people know that I was un-employed, I tried other things as well
but never found work. In January of 2006 a family member of mine who
was already receiving services from Irving Cares convinced me to go
to a job seminar with her once to see if I could get any job leads, I tried
a to find work but could not so I attended the seminar, this is how I
learned about Irving Cares. Irving
cares provides wonderful services for people in need. Some of these
services include: assistance with food, help with finances, transportation for those people who are too ill to use
the dart bus or rail systems, psychotherapy counseling, the job program
which helps people find and maintain stable employment, assistance with
medical prescriptions, bus passes and gas vouchers.
At this seminar I met a professor that worked
at Northlake College, she was the guest
speaker. This professor talked about the “do’s” and
“don’ts” on finding employment. She gave me and the
other people who attended this seminar tips on writing resumes, tips on
some questions employers may ask when interviewing and tips on how to job
hunt. This was truly a seminar worth going to! The job program
that the Irving Cares sponsors really does help people find work!
After the seminar was over, Kimberly Knight, Employment Service Manager
with Irving Cares, told me when a job fair at the Irving Public Library was
as well as other job fairs. I attended the job fair at the Irving
Public Library and that is where I met a General Manager of a company who
was looking for an Administrative Assistant, which I have experience
in. (I would rather not say which company.) The General Manager
asked me to come and interview with him the following week which I
did. Kimberly Knight called this General Manager and gave me an
excellent reference! The day after my interview I received a call
from this General Manager at home asking me to come and work for him!
It is really nice to know that there are
programs like the Irving Cares that help people in need, I experienced this
first hand! I will recommend the Irving Cares program to anyone that
I come in contact with that requires a little assistance as I did! I
am truly grateful for everything that the Irving Cares did for me!
Sincerely,
Amber Wilson
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Money Management
Classes Offered Online & in Spanish
For many years, clients receiving financial assistance for rent or mortgage
payments have been required to attend a Money Management Class with
curriculum from Consumer Credit Counseling Services. In July 2006, we
added the same requirement for clients receiving TXU assistance for their
electricity bills. A grant from Allstate Insurance Foundation covers
the expenses for the training, workbook costs, and calculators distributed
to each client. Volunteers or staff teach
the class once each month at the beginning of the month. This
class shows clients how to better manage their income and expenses and
gives them tools to create a family budget. This classroom setting
meets most clients’ needs; however, Spanish speakers and those
struggling to find childcare during the evening hours of the class needed
another alternative.
Irving Cares Bilingual
Case Manager Mary Cortés is certified to teach the class in Spanish, and
Spanish-speaking clients can now attend in the classroom setting.
Irving Cares has further expanded the
availability of Money Management Classes by adding two computer
workstations with wireless Internet connections that access the Consumer
Credit Counseling Services website, allowing clients to take the class
online, in English or Spanish.
This is a good example
of how Irving Cares provides emergency assistance and training to promote
our clients’ self-sufficiency. Drop in anytime to see how it
works.
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Patient Transportation Program Makes Medical Care Accessible
Lois is a 70-year
old grandmother who first enrolled in the Patient Transportation Program in
2002 on the advice of friends who used the program. After suffering
blackouts, she gave up driving for safety reasons. Although she has
access to DART transportation, the nearest bus stop is several hundred
yards from her apartment. After a long day of doctor appointments and
medical tests, those several hundred yards seemed a very long walk
home. This is the reason Lois especially appreciates the Patient
Transportation Program. Our van is able to pick up and deliver her
(and her necessary prescriptions) directly to her doorstep. Recently,
Lois became even more grateful for this convenient service following
amputation of a toe due to complications of diabetes. The Patient
Transportation Program helps Irving Cares’ clients like Lois maintain
her health and independence by assuring safe and convenient transportation
to her medical appointments in the Parkland Health & Hospital System.
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