Greenhope Services for Women, Inc.
11th Annual Community Resource, Education & Career Fair
Co-Sponsored by Senator Bill Perkins,
30th Senatorial District

For Immediate Release: August 18, 2008
Contact: Nicole Kelley, Employment Specialist (212) 369-5100 ext. 48
Jolita Eimutaviciute, Vocational Intern (212) 369-5100 ext. 21

New York, NY, August 18, 2008---Greenhope Services for Women, Inc., a comprehensive treatment program serving formerly incarcerated women in East Harlem, will sponsor its 11th Annual Community Resource, Education & Career Fair, on September 17, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

The event will take place at the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Harlem State Office at 163 West 125th Street, 2nd Floor Art Gallery, (Bet. Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. & Lenox Avenue), New York, NY 10027.

Each year, Greenhope Services for Women, Inc. sponsors this community fair to give organizations an opportunity to provide information about their jobs, education and training programs, and other community resources they offer. Although the event mostly draws East Harlem residents, both men and women from throughout New York City are welcome to attend this free event which has drawn between 300 - 600 participants over the past years.

Some of the community resources and employers that participated in last year’s event include: The Verizon Technology and Education Center, Greyhound, MTA, STRIVE, Americorps, Harlem Commonwealth Council, The HOPE Program, Avon, Lifespire, Bailey House, The College Initiative, The Women’s Center for Education and Career Advancement, The City of New York /Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (ACCESS NYC), The College and Community Fellowship, Daughters of Vision and Excellence (DOVE), Midtown Community Court /Time Square Ink., VESID, YAI, NYPD, NYS Troopers, Project Enterprise, and others.

Founded in 1975, Greenhope Services for Women (Greenhope) offers comprehensive residential and outpatient treatment services to formerly incarcerated women, women referred by the courts as an alternative to incarceration (ATI) and women from the community who require substance abuse services. More than 5,000 women have been served by Greenhope.

Greenhope’s programs include: the Residential Treatment Program, Ambulatory Treatment Program; Permanent and Transitional Housing; Vocational and Educational Services; Domestic Violence Education and Prevention Program; Family Therapy Program; and Aftercare Programs.

Since 1997, thousands of participants have attended The Annual Career Fair, which is the culmination of the Vocational and Educational Program. Greenhope’s Vocational and Educational Services program prepares clients to re-enter the world of work through its job readiness activities. Greenhope’s onsite education program helps clients work toward earning a GED and enrolling in college. The Annual Career Fair is a showcase of the successful partnerships that Greenhope’s Vocational and Educational Services Department has fostered with vocational service providers throughout the city.

Over the years, several attendees have gotten employed and earned GEDs. For example, one of Greenhope’s own graduates obtained employment through the fair. When she became a supervisor, she in turn hired at least four other Greenhope graduates. Another young man from the Bronx, who initially came to the fair to find employment, met with one of the educational programs from the Bronx that offered GED prep. In a matter of weeks, he had his GED and has been steadily employed since then.