Phalanx Family Services Working to Keep Chicago Employed

According to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, there are 86,000 homeless people in Chicago. Among the homeless, 18,000 have some college and 14,400 have some form of employment.

Forty-nine-year-old Rauquaia Hale-Wallace is one of those homeless people. She is trained as an opera singer and her husband has a job in the transportation industry.

After Hale-Wallace graduated high school, she went to Italy to perform while she was in college. Despite having a college degree, she has struggled to find consistent work.

Now she has been diagnosed with arthritis and diabetes and things have become progressively worse. Her family had to leave an apartment that was unsafe. They ended up living in a church, but after six years, they were told they had to move.

Her family moved to a shelter in Uptown until a charity organization helped her family move into an apartment. There is hope and there is help.

In danger of eviction or homelessness? Get up to $5,000 in mortgage or rental assistance through the State Homeless Fund administered through Phalanx Family Services. Contact Teia Sanders or Georgia Davis at 773/291-1086 to see if you qualify for the assistance.

Phalanx offers more help for those in need in Chicago.

Can’t pay your light, gas and/or phone bill? Need transportation money for clothing assistance to get to or maintain your job? Get up to
$800 in Emergency Fund Assistance through the City of Chicago’s Emergency Fund administered by Phalanx Family Services. Contact Georgia Davis at 773/291-1086 if you are a City of Chicago resident to see if you qualify.

The unemployment rate in Chicago is down to 2.8 percent in December from 4.1 percent in July. This is thanks to programs that help people find employment such as Phalanx Family Services.

Need IMMEDIATE JOB PLACEMENT or training to become a certified Truck Driver, licensed Basic Nurse Assistant, Pharmacy Technician,
or Food Service and Sanitation Trained professional? Contact Phalanx Family Services for assessment and intake at 773/291-1086.

Are you a senior or an individual 18 or older receiving SSI and/or SSDI and want to secure part- or full-time employment? Contact
Georgia Davis at 773/291-1086 for assessment and intake into the Ticket to Work Program.

If you live in Chicago or the surrounding suburbs, are 18 years of age or older, and would like to secure full-time employment
through Phalanx Family Services Direct Placement and Employment program contact 773/291-1086 for assessment and intake.

By Jeanette Vietti

Sources:

Chicago Tribune: Thousands of Chicago’s homeless have jobs, some college education, contrary to stereotypes, new study says
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL
Phalanx Family Services: Programs

Image Courtesy of Tyler M.’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License