J H P Inc

JHP operates employment-focused programs in homeless shelters in Prince Georges County and Washington DC.  These programs provide job and housing assistance to over 500 homeless individuals and families a year.  We manage three homeless shelters that provide temporary housing and wrap-a-round services for 220 individuals and 50 families a year while empowering them to find employment and move into permanent housing.  Last year JHP's programs placed 241 people in employment and helped 299 move into permanent housing.

People like Ms B who came to JHP, at age 54.  Ms. B had struggled with homelessness on and off for years, staying with family or friends when they would let her, and in the streets or DC’s shelters when they wouldn’t.  She had a tenth-grade education, and developmental disabilities made learning new skills difficult. Thus, her employment options were very limited. 

She came to JHP unsure what to do, only knowing that she needed to make a change.  She asked her case manager to help her complete online job applications. Together, they completed two applications and crafted a resume that highlighted her skills and assets. Ms. B was surprised to see all her strengths and accomplishments on paper; this helped create the sense of confidence that she needed to succeed.

A month later, Ms. B was hired part time as a housekeeper at area hotels.  Although the pay was minimal and the hours unreliable, the position showed her that she was capable of so much more than she had realized.  She returned to JHP a month later to apply for payment assistance for a Home Health Aide training course to begin a long-term career. Her nurturing, disposition could be transferred to a set of marketable skills. JHP provided the tuition assistance, and we watched as Ms. B went to class on time, every day. She was quick to earn her additional CPR and first aid certifications as well.

At the end of the course, Ms. B failed the Home Health Aide Certification exam.  She re-took the exam twice and failed again.  Her case manager was afraid Ms. B would become too discouraged to continue the job hunt and in fact didn’t see her again for sometime but when she did Ms. B was dressed in scrubs on her way to work!  She told her case manager that after failing the certification exam a third time, she took a month-long break to dedicate herself to studying.  After that, she was able to pass the test and earn her certification.  She immediately went to work full time as a Certified Home Health Aide. 

Ms. B moved into her own apartment in October 2010 where she has stably resided ever since.  Her ability to overcome obstacles and to refuse to give up, even after multiple failures, serves as a reminder to us all of the power of perseverance and faith in oneself. 

Our interventions create lasting change:

John entered PGH Shelter in May 2009.  He had previous work experience at a printing press and was assisted in creating a resume and searching for potential employers.  He was accepted for employment with Hargrove Press and began employment in July 2009. In November, John rented a house and was reunited with his wife and 4 children who had been staying at a women and children’s shelter in Prince Georges County.     

As of 9/30/2011 JHP spoke with Hargrove’s Director of Human Resources and John is still at work there.  He continues to excel and has been promoted to Graphics Coordinator-Prefight Quality Control. He is now a fully benefited employee with a pay rate of $24.50/hour. 

Each year, JHP helps hundreds of people like Ms. B and John to find a sense of possibility.  We empower homeless individuals and families to use their own ingenuity and determination to attain employment and housing goals.

“There’s a stigma attached to homelessness that isn’t fair. People think everyone who’s homeless is on drugs or is lazy. There are a lot of reasons why someone might become homeless. That’s something you’ll never fully understand until you get involved.”  - Grace Contee, JHP case manager

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