Program to help formerly incarcerated women re-enter the workforce

St. Joseph the Worker is teaming up with several partners to create the Workforce Villages Re-entry Program. The program provides a soft landing for 30 to 45 days for women reentering the workforce post-incarceration. The women not only enter a supportive environment, but they have the time needed to obtain quality employment.

Once employed, they transition to the Workforce Villages program for 90 days where they will save the $5,000 they will need for their own apartment. 85% of the women have been successful in this program, and five women are currently participants. This process creates the sufficiency they want without the need for government assistance like Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System paying for it.

Daren Strunk, Chief Operating Officer of St. Joseph the Worker, and Kimberly Carney, a program graduate, joined us to elaborate on the program.

The 30-to-45 day program is held at a few comforting homes owned by one of their partners, the Andre House, a non-profit organization.

“We said why don’t we do this program here [Andre houses], so we kind of did it on the back of a napkin in a parking lot in December of 2023 and we got it going in February of 2024 and since then it’s been one of our most successful programs,” Strunk said.

Within the homes, there are staff teaching lifestyle classes, checking on job application submissions and preparing those who earned interviews. Carney said the program also provides interview attire for the women. After that 30-to 45-day program, those who stay and accomplish their tasks move to a 90-day program that builds independence again.

“We call it the Villages; it’s actually a two bedroom apartment that you would share with another person, and it’s kind of freeing. It’s your first space to yourself and you’re able to work, build a routine, get used to living by yourself,” Carney said.

The 90-day program focuses on getting the women to practice a lifestyle back in the real world. They are given food and then set up with a budget of $5,000 in order to practice saving money. Ultimately, the program is designed to build self-sufficiency, according to Strunk.

He said he would love for employers in the customer service space that offer career growth opportunities to connect with him.

Finally, St. Joseph the Worker will be purchasing a house to expand the program as part of a capital campaign later this year. More information will follow on their socials.