The desperate men and women streamed by the thousands to 50 Waugh, overwhelming the job fair organizers and prompting police to temporarily block off a street to control the overflow.
“Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!” a few of them chanted, as they pined to get inside and speak to 40 prospective employers.
With the economy struggling, times are tough for Houstonians looking for work. But for about 2,500 ex-convicts at the Road to Re-Entry job fair just west of downtown Wednesday, the search for work has long seemed even bleaker.
Submitting a job application is fruitless, they say, because in a competitive marketplace few will hire someone with a rap sheet.
“I go and apply, and I don’t get no feedback,” said 20-year-old DeAngelo Cooper, who recently served a few months in jail for a Fort Bend County theft conviction and wants to work as a warehouse laborer. “Nobody wants to hire me.”
The fair, believed to be the first of its kind in the Houston area, was an attempt to give former convicts a second chance.
But even though they knew the need was great, organizers weren’t expecting this response.
Road to Re-Entry, sponsored by a series of nonprofit groups, corporations and community activists, has been in the works for several months. In the last few weeks, the preparations accelerated.
Leaders finalized plans for about 40 companies to attend and set up a series of skills-building workshops. They also built a Web site where former convicts could reserve a place for the fair. Until two days ago, the sign-ups were coming in at a trickle. Then suddenly, a torrent of more than 2,000 people registered.
“It shows how we have so many folks in need,” said Jaa St. Julien from St. Julien Communications Group, a local public relations firm that helped organize the fair.
Community activist Quanell X, an event sponsor, said: “None of us expected the overwhelming showing. None of us expected thousands.”
Stretching for blocks
On Wednesday, the lines of job-seekers began forming before the fair’s 1 p.m. opening time outside the United Way of Greater Houston.
By late afternoon, they stretched for blocks around the building.
Inside, Don Jones, president of Certified Traffic and Flagger Solutions of Texas, which controls traffic at construction zones, had to practically fight off waves of job-seekers.
“Call me after 10 a.m. tomorrow,” Jones said to one man. “If you’re serious about a job, you’ll call me.”
Jones said he would be offering about 10 jobs to former felons in the coming days.
He was one of only a few employers with jobs on quick offer. Other employers, like the city of Houston, said they had openings but couldn’t just give jobs out.
“We can’t make any promises,” said L.D. Davis, a city human resources representative who was offering information about jobs requiring commercial driver’s licenses.
Nearby, Gwen White was urging people to look outside the traditional job market by considering opportunities like stay-at-home data entry.
“They have to think outside the box,” said White, a vice president at the nonprofit Ramadh Foundation, which specializes in helping low-income women.
Useful, but just a start
The consensus among attendees: The fair was useful, but it’s only a start at re-integrating ex-cons into the community.
“I came for employment, but I didn’t get anything yet,” said 36-year-old Shawanna Chapple.
The mother of four said her past — which includes convictions for forgery and robbery — has come back to haunt her time and again. She is often given jobs, then gets laid off a few weeks later, once employers discover her background. Lately, she has been earning money by working at a McDonald’s.
“It’s not easy,” she said. “This is useful because they give you resources to find jobs or get you back in school. But it’s not easy.”
Via: Chron.com
