WEST POINT — After the passing of her father in 2020, Jessica Williams of Starkville suffered a mental breakdown that left her recovering at home and without work.
Then she discovered the Golden Triangle branch of the Christian Women’s Job Corps, where she rebuilt her confidence, along with computer skills and her resume.
“It helped me to get into (graduate) school,” Williams said. “… I didn’t have much experience, but the class helped me to get into … the University of Alabama for social work.”
Williams is one of 287 women CWJC has helped since forming in 2010, according to site coordinator Linda Todd. Despite that success, several efforts over the years to get a similar program for men off the ground have failed.
Until now.
Todd and other volunteers are starting a branch of the Christian Men’s Job Corps in West Point, where they will teach men the same life skills that helped Williams turn her life around.
“It supports men 18 and older to improve their life transitioning from wherever they are,” Todd said. “It could be from grief. It could be from prison. It could be from drugs. It could be from divorce, financial ruin … anything. Any walk of life, we meet you there, and we move forward.”
Todd said the Christian Men’s Job Corps will teach classes on resume preparation, anger management, computer skills, budgeting, grief, and more. The faith-based organization will also lead participants through Bible study.
The program will be based out of a warehouse at The Mission, a faith-based addiction recovery organization in West Point. The facility will include classrooms, clothing racks and a library with more than 2,500 Christian books, Todd said.
“They will help to meet needs that we’re unable to,” said Dickie Bryan, president and founder of The Mission. “We work with the men to try to develop character and help them overcome their addictions, but they will teach skills that we don’t, like computer skills and resume skills. They’ll complement what we’re already doing, but in some other areas that we’re not equipped to do.”
At the end of the program, graduates walk out with higher self-esteem, a resume and a free laptop, Todd said.
“We need Christian men to stand up and be leaders,” Todd said. “They’re changing their lives and are able to do the work that God created them to do.”
Todd said the waitlist for the program is open, and those who wish to be placed on a waiting list can email [email protected]. Classes will be scheduled within the next 60 days.
The program will be kicking off with a men’s clothing sale this Saturday. The sale will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with each item priced at less than $5. Todd said the sale will be one of the biggest fundraisers that supports the program.
“The women’s clothing sale … we do it four times a year, and it funds all of the expenses of that ministry every year,” Todd said. “When we started … we had zero dollars. And every time we’ve needed one thing, it showed up. God has gifted us all the way through.”
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 48 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
