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Alamo WorkSource Board Meets At St. Barnabas
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The Alamo WorkSource Board of Directors met Dec. 10 at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church where they were hosted by Good Samaritan Community Services, a San Antonio-based nonprofit organization whose regional Get2Work programs are funded by Alamo WorkSource. A total of 48 board members, staff, friends and affiliates attended the regular monthly meeting.
Good Samaritan Community Services, formerly known as the Good Samaritan Center, was founded in 1951 by the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas and, ever since, has been the primary social service resource for residents of the near west side of San Antonio.
At the center, a myriad of services are available for children, youth, adults and seniors. In recent years, GSCS expanded its youth development programs to serve all of San Antonio and Bexar County, as well as 11 outlying counties (Gillespie along with Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Frio, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina and Wilson) and three counties in the Rio Grande Valley (Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy).
The mission of GSCS, changing lives through excellent community services, is carried out through the delivery of programs designed to foster education, character development, healthy living and self-sufficiency.
The Alamo WorkSource Board serves as the governing board for the regional workforce system, a network of service providers and contractors that brings people and jobs together, and represents the taxpayers of the 12-county Alamo region. Board membership reflects the diverse constituencies of the regional community: business, economic development, education, labor, community organizations and government. The mission of Alamo WorkSource is to build a premier workforce in America by providing employers and residents with the opportunities, resources and services to develop and gain a competitive edge in the global economy.
By providing funding for the Get2Work programs of Good Samaritan Community Services, Alamo WorkSource enables GSCS to provide services to rural youth, ages 14-18, who because of low income and other socioeconomic barriers are at high risk to become high school dropouts, teen parents, juvenile offenders, homeless or a part of the foster care system.
Many have learning challenges, especially in reading or math, and many are the youth of migrant families.
Through its case management, mentoring, academic instruction, substance abuse counseling, character development curriculums, leadership training, supportive services, and college and vocational services, Get2Work attempts to ensure that each participant obtains a high school diploma or GED, gains foundational skills, and either enrolls in college, enters vocational school, or is successfully placed in employment.
GSCS partners with area employers willing to sponsor youth for short term, real-world work assignments and youth are paid by GSCS during their assignments. In its first year in the rural counties, Get2Work has assisted 77 students in obtaining high school diplomas or a GED. Work continues with these young people to ensure their future employability and these numbers are expected to increase as the program grows to meet the need.
The Good Samaritan Center, headquarters for these services, is located at 1600 Saltillo Street in San Antonio Office locations for the outlying rural Get2Work programs are in Fredericksburg, along with Hondo, Pleasanton, Kerrville, Bandera, Seguin, Kenedy, Floresville, Pearsall, Boerne, Comfort and New Braunfels.
courtesy of The Fredericksburg Standard originally published December 27, 2007.
