Workforce development and employee assistance programs result in stable employment, income, and positive outcomes for our community members

By Blake Burrell • July 21, 2026

The Nightingale Community is a great place for people who are employed or working on education to live. If you have noticed during your drive up Hilyard St., our community is looking amazing. This is thanks to the efforts of all our community members who contribute to onsite chores and site stewardship. We are excited to share that everyone who lives at Nightingale has a meaningful role in the community, participates in our workforce development program, or has a job. 

Garret, who works full-time at St. Vincent de Paul, says, "It's been a great thing getting to know the community on a more personal level and gaining a sense of pride in myself and what I do for a living.” He benefits from Nightingale’s nice community setting and the basic utilities that help him start his workday at their thrift stores. He says he “will continue to be the thrift store guy as long as they want me there,” and his stay at Nightingale has helped him work towards his goals.

Community Supported Shelters is a grassroots organization which prides itself on providing people who are enrolled in its shelter programs with jobs and meaningful employment opportunities at the organization. Candace, who became an employee at CSS after graduating the workforce program, praised the program, stating, “Nightingale gave me the stability I needed to succeed in the Workforce program, and ultimately, it helped me become employed by CSS.”

Nightingale has become a place for our community members to stabilize while they work on employment opportunities and on-the-job training with CSS. Candace, who is now employed as our Workforce Development Program Coordinator, expressed, “As someone who lived [at Nightingale] and now works with Workforce participants, I’ve seen firsthand how much of a difference that stability can make. Sometimes the biggest barrier to employment isn’t motivation; it’s simply not having enough stability to let your strengths shine.” She shares that she thinks “Nightingale gives people the foundation they need to be successful. Looking for work and keeping a job is incredibly difficult when you’re exhausted from trying to meet your basic needs every day.” 

Candace remarked that “Nightingale didn’t just give me a place to live, it gave me the stability to become someone who could help others to do the same.” She is now empowering people who were in similar situations to her to stabilize, graduate from CSS workforce programs, and find employment opportunities. 

Candace shares that Michael and Keegan are always hard at work with Doug on Workforce Wednesday shifts weekly at CSS. Michael reflected on his experience in the program, saying, “Even though it's often tough work, I almost always have a good time under [Special Projects Coordinator] Doug's guidance. It's fun to learn new skills and tools.” He expressed that during on-the-job training, “Doug never makes me feel stupid for not knowing something. His really good attitude allows for fun to naturally occur.”

Candace remarked that “Nightingale didn’t just give me a place to live, it gave me the stability to become someone who could help others to do the same.” She is now empowering people who were in similar situations to her to stabilize, graduate from CSS workforce programs, and find employment opportunities. 

Candace shares that Michael and Keegan are always hard at work with Doug on Workforce Wednesday shifts weekly at CSS. Michael reflected on his experience in the program, saying, “Even though it's often tough work, I almost always have a good time under [Special Projects Coordinator] Doug's guidance. It's fun to learn new skills and tools.” He expressed that during on-the-job training, “Doug never makes me feel stupid for not knowing something. His really good attitude allows for fun to naturally occur.”

Similarly, two other community members participated in a pilot program that was developed by CSS, Shift Community Cycles, and the Chamber of Commerce this past spring. Sabrina and Jared graduated from Shift Community Cycles’ Pedal Forward Program and have been employees at Shift as bike mechanics since May. 

Sabrina has been working two jobs and balancing an active lifestyle in community, sharing that “[Nightingale] is a very good place,” echoing sentiments shared by others and emphasizing the noticeable impact of the onsite resources and the subsequent stability it has made for her while she has been working for both organizations.

“We are greatly encouraged to see members of our community feel stability and get employed,” Blake shares, “and every opportunity to help our members learn a new skill, update their resume, and work towards income and employment brings me joy knowing that it is one step closer for people to achieve their goals.”

But wait, that's not all!

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