The Hall of Fame

I am in charge of the bulletin boards for the center. I envisioned a special tribute area to the Bell Ringers. A Bell Ringer is a person who comes in to report that they got a job. It is our way of helping them celebrate the victory! Our bell ringing experience with Rosha was very special. He came in and calmly said, holding back his excitement, "Where is the bell?", looking toward the front desk where it had been before I moved it down the hall to the "Hall of Fame". The bell is displayed on a table with pictures of Bell Ringers on the wall above it. When Rosha called to tell us he got a job we were all so delighted. He has been trying so hard to find a job. It took him probably two months. Before that he has been turned down about 30 times. No one wanted to give an ex-con a chance to rebuild his life. He is a quiet, appreciative gentleman. His job is with a big chicken processor who will give benefits and everything after the customary 90 day probation period. He found the job through a close friend of his niece! The job was not advertised at all. It is who you know. It is calling people and it is what we try to get people to have the courage to do. 70-80 percent of all jobs are found by calling people you know and getting references. We call it networking but only 15 % of the people will do it.