PHILADELPHIA, PA. The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Homeless Services (OHS) announced  “Help for the Hurdles,” a new initiative to help individuals residing in homeless shelters to provide transportation and childcare making it easier to obtain a job.

 

Help for the Hurdles Philadelphia

“Help for the Hurdles,” as the name suggests, provides immediate and direct assistance to overcome some of the most common obstacles to employment – transportation and childcare.

“People experiencing homelessness want and need a living wage,” said Marybeth Gonzales, Deputy for Policy, Planning, and Performance Management at the Office of Homeless Services. “This program leverages public-private partnerships to give people the support they need to succeed in reaching their financial and housing goals.”

Funded by the federal CARES Act, “Help for the Hurdles” offers connections to jobs through First Step Staffing with wages up to $16 per hour in warehouse stocking, light-industrial, and food processing. It also connects people with various certification programs and financial literacy. Program participants must be emergency shelter residents, employable, and rapid-rehousing eligible.

Spring Point Partners, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Office of Early Childhood Education, PA CareerLink, University of Pennsylvania Fels Institute of Government, and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority are also program partners.

Help for the Hurdles will start on a rolling cycle. Some participants will begin working as early as this month. Helping people obtain employment and increasing their income are pillars of the OHS strategic plan Roadmap to Homes.