MADISON — Finding a job is not always as straightforward as it seems, especially if you do not speak English fluently, are not proficient in current technology, or are not accustomed to the job search process here in the U.S.
The Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) Employment Search Assistance Office in Madison aims to help job seekers overcome these and other barriers to job searching.
The primary clientele seeking services are immigrants. Most are from Latin America, but the office also assists job seekers from South Asia, West Africa, the Middle East, and other parts of the world.
A welcoming environment
“We have a welcoming environment and that attracts people,” said CMC Community Liaison Lilliam Post, who oversees the jobs office. “If people feel we can help them, we are here to serve them.”
In Lilliam’s office hangs a beautifully detailed West African tapestry gifted by one grateful job seeker who found the assistance she needed at the CMC.
Adiatou P. came to Madison in fall of 2018 from Benin in West Africa. In her home country, she was a registered nurse (RN) speaking several different local and regional languages and working at a healthcare nonprofit.
Upon arriving in the U.S., all her hard-earned skills and qualifications essentially evaporated.
Her lack of English skills and the fact that her RN qualifications in Benin are not valid here in the U.S. made it impossible for her to continue her work when she first arrived.
Adiatou heard about the CMC from an acquaintance and came to the employment search assistance office for guidance.
Lilliam helped Adiatou apply for a hotel cleaning job, but she was rejected because of her poor English skills.
Adiatou needed to pay rent and support her two children; her husband’s cleaning job was not enough to make ends meet.
While job searching, she studied hard, taking English classes at both the CMC and at Madison College.
With improved English skills, she visited Lilliam again a few months later. She reapplied to the hotel and this time got the job.
While it helped pay the rent, this cleaning work was not fulfilling to Adiatou.
“I said to myself, this is not my style. I need to find something else. As a nurse, to come and work [at such a simple job] like this is suffering to me,” she explained.
Eventually, Adiatou returned to the jobs office, where Lilliam helped her find a job in home health care . . . finally, something in the field for which she was trained!
Adiatou stayed at that job for a year and a half. Then, her English teacher told her about a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) work-training program through University Hospital in Madison.
She applied, received the job, and after six weeks of training, began her CNA work.
She has now been at this job for one and a half years, where she enjoys putting her nursing skills to good use in assisting orthopedic patients.
Throughout her career journey in the U.S., the CMC jobs office has been there to support Adiatou every step of the way and to help her work towards a position where her skills and knowledge are valued.
Adiatou said that Lilliam has become like family after all the times she helped her.
Now, her next dream is to become a registered nurse here in the U.S. She recently applied to take the test for RNs licensed in countries other than the U.S. so she can try to receive her license to practice here. “Taking care of people is one of my dreams. It makes me feel peace when I see people well,” said Adiatou.
Helping the whole person
Lilliam explained, “People come here for jobs, but many end up joining other CMC programs like the daily free meal or English as a Second Language Classes.”
The CMC’s core mission is holistically serving people in need, treating the whole person. When someone comes with a job-related need, Lilliam and her team of volunteers end up assisting with much more than jobs to help ensure that people have the stability they need to succeed in life.
José R. has been coming periodically to the CMC jobs office for many years.
Occasionally he might need help filling out a job application, but often he comes seeking help filling out forms and navigating community resources.
Originally from Puebla, Mexico, he has been in Southern Wisconsin for 18 years working to support his wife and five children.
He has spent most of his career working in restaurants as a dishwasher.
Unfortunately, in recent years a number of health issues have made it quite difficult for José, who is only 54 years old, to work.
In addition to diabetes and high blood pressure, he has developed a condition that causes him extreme pain and results in extra trips to the doctor and hospital.
Some days, he said, he cannot even get out of bed. This physical strain has also taken a toll on his mental health.
“Sometimes I just feel hopeless,” he said.
For two months this year, José was unable to work due to his poor health.
During this time he had no income because his type of immigration status is not eligible for disability benefits (even certain documented non-citizen immigrants are ineligible).
Now he is back at work but just part-time because he can only withstand the pain of working five or six hours a day. He is living paycheck to paycheck.
“If I don’t work, I can’t pay rent. The bills don’t stop . . . car, phone, electric. I have to work to survive,” he said.
As a dishwasher, José’s work involves demanding physical labor.
In his line of work, he says employers are often not accommodating and job loss is a likely outcome for missing work without a medical excuse.
Additionally, restaurant jobs do not typically offer healthcare benefits, especially for part-time employees, so José is uninsured.
He recently received treatment at the hospital for his health condition and came away with a $4,700 bill that he is unable to pay off in a timely manner. José came to the CMC with the financial assistance application provided by the hospital, seeking Lilliam’s help in filling out the form so he can successfully qualify for this much-needed financial help.
José hasn’t always been the one needing help; he prefers to give help when he can.
Once, José met a fellow job seeker in the CMC Employment Search Assistance Office who was trying to get to a job interview out of town but did not own a car.
At that time José had a car and money for gas, so he drove a great distance to help the applicant get to their interview and back.
Now, he has only been driving when necessary because of gas prices.
At his most recent jobs office visit, Lilliam helped José fill out the hospital financial assistance form, offered compassionate listening to his difficult situation, and connected him with some small financial resources that might be able to help him get by.
CMC staff and volunteers do their best to assist every guest that comes to the jobs office, no matter how great or how small the challenge. They see the hope that can happen when people are treated with dignity and seen as a sister or brother in Christ. “CMC is making small miracles happen each day, often without even knowing it,” Lilliam said.
If you want to support job seekers and immigrants in need in our area, visit cmcmadison.org for more information.
Bilingual (English/Spanish) volunteers are currently needed in the jobs office. Other CMC volunteer positions are available for all language abilities.
Laura Green is the grants and communications coordinator for the Catholic Multicultural Center in Madison.