October 7, 2011
By Anne Dukes

ATLANTA – Cascade United Methodist Church welcomed U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis on Oct. 5 at a well-attended job symposium aimed at getting Americans, especially Atlanta-area residents, back to work.

Solis lamented that too many Americans – around 14 million – are unemployed. She noted that African Americans, Native Americans and youth have been particularly hard hit since the 2007-08 recession.

However, she commended the Cascade congregation and its senior pastor, the Rev. Marvin A. Moss, for giving needed support to job seekers.

"The practical help for job seekers and care and concern offered here at Cascade and by Rev. Moss have been pivotal to this community," she told those gathered. "They are one of the best-kept secrets for job seekers needing to get good information."

The U.S. Department of Labor's Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships helped plan Solis' visit to the symposium, which also included panel discussions offering advice to job seekers.

Solis spent much of her speech promoting President Barack Obama's proposed "Americans Jobs Act," but she also trumpeted the ministry churches can do for people facing the day-to-day struggle of unemployment.

Offering a career network

Cascade United Methodist Church offers one such ministry through its Cascade Career Network, which provides resources, seminars and workshops – and much-needed spiritual support. The ministry, started in 2009, has served about 350 people. It is part of the Crossroads Career Network, a national community of churches that provides faith-based job search and career transition resources.

Foster Smith III has been coming to the Cascade Career Network for about a year and a half on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. He has found jobs but lost them again because they were only seasonal positions or the employer went bankrupt.

Still, he believes wholeheartedly in the benefits of the program and is upbeat about the future and his prospects for work in his field of sales.

"It is so important these days to be a part of a career networking group like this with seminars and meetings because the job climate has changed so much," Smith said. "There are very different dynamics these days."

The network, he said, has helped him rewrite his résumé, hone his interviewing skills and learn how to make the social network "LinkedIn" work for him

"They've been teaching us the ins and outs and how to brand ourselves and to keep reaching out, even to people we haven't seen in 15 years," Smith said.

Boost of faith

"But most of all, because this is a faith-based program, we focus on the positive, and we maintain our faith in God and are able to reach out to meet others like ourselves. You realize that you're not the only one dealing with this, and it helps with managing the pain and disappointments."

Smith, who said he is a Catholic, now regularly attends Cascade and takes to heart the sermons Moss delivers.

"Last week's sermon was all about keeping up with God when things are good – every day, not just when things are down," he said. "The environment at Cascade helps me keep even."

Moss knows people are hurting and trying. He said he wants the church to be a center for encouragement and keeping hope alive.

"The secretary (Solis) being here demonstrates the concern others have for us."

*Dukes is a freelance writer in Atlanta.