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BETTER TOGETHER HELPS PEOPLE FIND DIGNIFYING WORK AND CONNECTS VOLUNTEERS TO FAMILIES THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH JOB LOSS, POVERTY AND OTHER CRISES IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN THE FAMILY AND KEEP THEM TOGETHER.

THE ORGANIZATION'S BETTER FAMILIES PROGRAM WORKS TO PREVENT CHILD NEGLECT AND ABUSE BEFORE FOSTER CARE BECOMES A NECESSITY. THE ORGANIZATION'S UNIQUE MODEL ENABLES PARENTS WHO ARE IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP TO VOLUNTARILY PLACE THEIR CHILDREN WITH A LOVING HOST FAMILY FOR UP TO A YEAR. THE AVERAGE HOST FAMILY STAY IS 41 DAYS WITH MOST PLACINGS LASTING 90 DAYS OR LESS. THESE VOLUNTEER HOST FAMILIES ARE CAREFULLY VETTED AND FOCUS THEIR EFFORTS ON CARING FOR THE CHILDREN WHILE THE BETTER TOGETHER PROFESSIONAL TEAM JOINED BY A NETWORK OF VOLUNTEERS HELP THE PARENTS GET BACK ON THEIR FEET. SINCE INCEPTION, THE BETTER FAMILIES PROGRAM HAS SERVED MORE THAN 3,200 CHILDREN WITH A 98% SUCCESS RATE OF PREVENTING THEIR PLACEMENT IN GOVERNMENT FOSTER CARE.

FOR NEARLY 80% OF PARENTS SERVED BY THE ORGANIZATION'S BETTER FAMILIES PROGRAM, CRISIS WAS INSTIGATED BY THE LOSS OF EMPLOYMENT. RECOGNIZING THAT PARENTS CANNOT ACHIEVE SELF-SUFFICIENCY WITHOUT STABLE EMPLOYMENT, THE ORGANIZATION LAUNCHED BETTER JOBS, A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND MODEL FOR CONNECTING JOB SEEKERS WITH EMPLOYERS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL CHURCHES, WHICH ORGANIZE, HOST, AND PROMOTE THE EVENTS. BEFORE MEETING WITH PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS, JOB SEEKERS MAY CONSULT WITH BETTER JOBS VOLUNTEERS FOR INTERVIEWING TIPS, RESUME HELP, AND COACHING ON HOW THEY CAN BEST ARTICULATE THEIR SKILLS. CHURCH-BASED ORGANIZERS RECRUIT OTHER ASSISTANTS, SUCH AS VOLUNTEER HAIRSTYLISTS, AND COLLECT BUSINESS ATTIRE TO HELP ATTENDEES LOOK AND FEEL THEIR BEST. IN JUST A FEW SHORT YEARS, THE ORGANIZATION HAS BUILT A NETWORK OF 150 CHURCHES, WHICH HAVE SERVED 34,000 JOB SEEKERS IN 24 STATES.