Ring the Bell – June 2018

Our Ring the Bell nominee for June 2018 is our long-time community partner, Charles Williams. He oversees the Emmanuel Center, a site dedicated to youth programs and the Open Doors Family Shelter. Through this site, he and his team at Neighborhood Network have provided “real world” employment experience to hundreds of clients in a welcoming atmosphere. By helping these individuals gain the skills necessary to obtain unsubsidized full-time employment, he’s set each of them up for success. Charles does not limit his participants to one specialized area of work. He allows them to work at several different areas in his facility to broaden their knowledge and skill base, making them more attractive to potential employers.

Charles works tirelessly for the benefit of our participants and our partnership. He is employed by the Kiemle Hagood, where he recently engaged his supervisor regarding use of the Career Jump program with one of our clients. The process was extensive, but Charles arranged a meeting to allow Paul VanDriel, a Career Path Services practitioner, to meet with several members of the Kiemle Hagood management team.

Without Charles’ leadership, it would not have been possible for this client to participate in the Career Jump program and make the transition to the company’s payroll. Additionally, Charles set up meetings with three non-profit, low income housing properties, and they are now worksites for our participants. Charles is always looking for ways to create partnerships and has a passion for helping others. His combination of compassion, integrity, kindness, and work ethic make Charles the ideal Worksite Supervisor and Community Jobs partner.

Thanks you Charles, and congratulations!