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Home  / News & Publications /  Michigan Catholic News / 2008 /  Searching for solutions

by Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published May 30, 2008

Robert Delaney | The Michigan Catholic Brenda Campbell says she loves her new job at Meijer in Shelby Township, which she landed thanks to the employment support group at St. Michael Parish in Sterling Heights.

Editor's note: This is one story in an occasional series on the impact of the economic crisis and the Church's search for solutions.

Detroit — Brenda Campbell was jobless and staying at a homeless shelter when she first got involved with the employment support group at St. Michael Parish in Sterling Heights. Not only did Deacon Larry Healy match her up with a parishioner willing to rent her a room, but he also arranged for an interview that landed her a job at the Meijer store in Shelby Township.

And now, Campbell looks forward to moving soon. She'll be renting the condominium of a St. Michael parishioner who had to leave the area to find work.

It was hardship that first brought her into contact with St. Michael Parish, but she now makes it her church home. "I was raised a Baptist, but I'll tell you: when you're down and out, the Catholics are the ones who will love you and take care of you," Campbell says.

St. Michael is one of a number of parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit that have developed support groups for people who have lost jobs during Michigan's economic crisis.

Campbell, a widow, spent nearly two years out of work after being laid off in March 2006, at age 57, by a local advertising agency where she had been a secretary and administrative assistant.

Like many people who lose their job, she focused on finding a similar position at a comparable rate of pay. "I went on many interviews, but no one would hire me," she recalls.

After her jobless benefits expired, her financial situation deteriorated and she lost her apartment in April 2007. Campbell wound up spending several weeks staying overnight in the parish halls of churches that participate in the Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team (MCREST), before being accepted into the MATTS transitional shelter in Warren.

"It was very scary to be in my late 50s and in a shelter with men who had been in prison, but the shelter took good care of me," Campbell says. Then, through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, she learned about the program at St. Michael Parish, and got involved. She landed work for the holiday season at a Target store.

"Fortunately, I had just made the last payment on my car before I was laid off, so I had transportation," Campbell says.

Two months ago, Deacon Healy learned the Meijer store at Hall Road and Hayes had an opening in its deli section, and arranged for Campbell to be interviewed for it. But when she showed up well-dressed as she had been accustomed to from her 30 years of working in office jobs, the store decided to put her in its jewelry department.

"I'd never have guessed I'd be this happy working at Meijer, but I like the work and the people, and they like me," she says.

Campbell has also had to cope with health problems these past couple of years, having developed a heart condition, and is still rebuilding her finances. But now she sees "light at the end of the tunnel."

"I take it one day at a time, and I give thanks to the Lord every day," she says.

Another employment support program — the Shrine Career Network at National Shrine of the Little Flower Parish in Royal Oak – was among the practical solutions to the area's economic woes spotlighted at last month's Michigan in Crisis=Parish Communities in Crisis summit at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

Founded in 2003, Shrine Career Network draws up to about 40 people to its monthly meetings to hear speakers address some aspect of the job search process. Participants learn about preparing resumes, successful job-interviewing techniques and networking, among other topics.

Pamela Mullins, now a senior account executive with PMC, an international engineering consulting and software firm in Dearborn, says she found the meetings and speakers to be very helpful, along with the networking opportunities.

"I found a job with Kelly (Services) through networking, then through my work at Kelly I got an even better job," she says.

Mullins says she intends to continue coming to the meetings "to share job leads and increase my network."

Alysa Hunton says she benefited from what she learned from attending the meetings, even though she wasn't out of work and the better job she sought and landed was within the institution she already worked for.

Hunton started attending the meetings after finishing a master's degree at Oakland University, where she was employed as a researcher and had worked on special projects such as bringing a French film festival to the campus. But, armed with her higher degree, she wanted a better job; and she landed a position as a development officer with the university.

What she got out of those meetings at Shrine was "how important it is to stay motivated and stay positive; how to avoid setbacks and not procrastinate," Hunton says.

"These things are not just important in job searching, but in life," she adds.

Robert Delaney | The Michigan Catholic Janine Krasicky talks about the Shrine Career Network at the Michigan in Crisis conference at Sacred Heart Major Seminary last month.

Janine Krasicky, who gave the presentation about Shrine Career Network at the Michigan in Crisis conference, has been involved with the program since attending a meeting back in 2003 at which representatives from Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Plymouth told interested Shrine parishioners how its Career Network operates.

Krasicky had been laid off in 2003 – the second time she had lost a job in two years – and was looking for work – either a full-time job or at least some consulting work to help her get through until something full-time opened up.

She never did find a new full-time job, but she didn't need to. One consulting job led to another, and Krasicky started her own public relations and marketing communications firm, J9 Media Solutions.

She sees her continued involvement as a co-leader of Shrine Career Network as a way of "giving back" to her parish: "For me, this is a talent of mine, and helping people is just part of me. It's been very rewarding to be able to help so many people."

Krasicky says going into business for oneself is something she would never have thought she would do back when she had a full-time job. "It's not really for everyone, but probably more people should consider it," she says.

Shrine Career Network speakers advise attendees on such matters as being good listeners during job interviews, in order to discern what the employer needs and being able to respond with how they could meet those needs. Participants take part in mock interview, and learn how to present themselves in their resumes.

A mistake many jobless persons make is counting too much on finding something over the Internet. "A lot of people spend way too much time sitting at their computer, and don't get out and talk to people," Krasicky says.

And she believes too many people fall prey to negativity: "I really don't allow negativity. You can wallow for a day or two in negativity when you lose a job, but at the end of the day, negativity isn't going to get you a job."