Roberto G. and Daniela A.G. immigrated to the U.S. from Venezuela just one year ago, and because of the opportunities they found via our partnership with the Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA), they’ve been provided with job training skills and the opportunity to learn English as a second language. ReWA is a nonprofit that offers services including job training, housing, legal services, and more to refugee and immigrant women and their families. It is one of the largest refugee and immigrant service providers in the Puget Sound region, and we’re excited to be one of their nonprofit partners.
Habitat SKKC partnered with ReWA through their Work Experience (WEX) program to bring Roberto and Daniela to the Southcenter Store. The program offers benefits to participants in exchange for working a set number of hours each week. The goal of WEX is for participants to leave with an updated resume, references, and skills that will help with their future job searches.
“It has been a rich experience. Every day is a learning opportunity,” says Daniela.
As our first WEX volunteers, Daniela and Roberto work with staff and other volunteers and learn job skills including pricing furniture and customer service. They have spent six months volunteering with Habitat SKKC. The WEX program generally runs from eight weeks to six months, which means Daniela and Roberto’s time with us is winding down.
“We want to make sure we’re setting them up for success in their next job, especially around translation. When they go to a job, if the topic of safety comes up, we don’t want the words, phrases, and acronyms they may come across to be new to them. We want them to have the best chance moving forward, especially if they’re put in work environments that aren’t as accommodating with translations,” says Southcenter Store Manager Steven Mastandrea.
Southcenter employee Brian Sanchez has been with the store for a month and a half, but he has already proven himself as willing and helpful when tapped to serve as the occasional translator for Roberto and Daniela, an experience he finds as rewarding as the volunteers.
“There are great opportunities here. Everybody communicates, everybody’s kind and has a sense of humor,” he says of his experience as a new employee. His advice to anybody considering applying for a job at the store: “Come in with a good attitude and want to do the work. Don’t just come here for a paycheck. Know that you like the mission here: that’s giving, helping people out.”
Thanks to the dedicated staff at the Southcenter Store, volunteers like Daniela and Roberto leave for new opportunities with job training, new skills, and the support of the Habitat community.