Trial Jobs Program For Homeless Begins In Fairfax County

FAIRFAX, VA — A pilot jobs program modeled after The Lamb Center’s City Jobs program for the homeless has launched in Fairfax County. As of Oct. 1, the county's Stormwater Planning Division is offering work through the 12-week program.

The jobs program is available to homeless guests at the Eleanor U. Kennedy Community Shelter, Bailey’s Crossroads Community Shelter and The Lamb Center. Participants work four-hour shifts picking up trash around streams and removing invasive plants. The program pays $10 per hour and is funded through the county's stormwater service district fee.

The county is partnering with New Hope Housing and The Lamb Center for the program. The Lamb Center is a daytime drop-in center providing services to the homeless and people transitioning into housing, while New Hope Housing provides shelter and services for homeless families and individuals.

The two nonprofits will vet participants for the program, provide transportation, supervise work, track and report the number of bags of litter filled, and provide a hot meal after shifts. The county provides high-visibility vests, gloves, trash grabbers, nets, insect repellent, sunscreen, and trash bags.

The county's decision to start the pilot program followed the launch of the City Jobs program in November 2018. The Lamb Center's program has provided work such as clearing weeds, picking up trash, painting park benches and tables, and putting up holiday decorations for Fairfax City. The county program includes some participants who worked in the City Jobs program, according to The Lamb Center. (Read Patch's coverage of the City Jobs program and struggles of the homeless in Northern Virginia here.)

"The Lamb Center is proud to see the City Jobs program it created in cooperation with Fairfax City serve as a model for the county," said The Lamb Center's board chair Tara Ruszkowski. "For many of our guests this program is a steppingstone to more permanent work; for all, it offers dignity. It’s an approach that not only uplifts those who need help, but also benefits our community through cleaner, healthier streams."

Cornerstones, the nonprofit that runs the Embry Rucker Family Shelter, will consider joining the pilot program should it be extended beyond the initial 12-week period.

Patch will take a closer look at the new Fairfax County jobs program as part of our ongoing series on homelessness. If you or someone you know experienced homelessness and would like to share your story, email Emily.Leayman@patch.com.