Mission Mobile launches in Jackson County
The following article first appeared in The Jackson Star & Herald on October 13th, 2023.
In May of this year, a joint project that would bring job search training, networking and resources to twenty West Virginia counties was announced.
At a ceremony at the Starcher Mansion in Ripley, the Mission Mobile concept and design plan were unveiled. A joint project by Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE), United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley, Goodwill Industries of Kanawha Valley and Truist Bank, would provide a mobile unit that would take job assistance to the service area.
On October 10, that design became a reality as the Mission Mobile was brought to the Jackson County Economic Development Authority parking lot.
“We thought it was not going to be ready until December,” Stacy DiCicco, executive director of United Way Alliance, said. “To have it available ahead of schedule means we can get to work even sooner.”
While the unit was the star of the show, the excitement revolved around the services and assistance that the van would provide.
With eight laptop computers and instructors, those who come to the van can learn such skills as resume writing, job interview preparedness, filling out a job application and much more. A television monitor will provide access to classes and instruction.
“Our goal is to have 72 visits for the first go-round,” Danial Gum, vice president of Mission Advancement at Goodwill. “We will be working with the local Department of Health and Human Services and other agencies to see where the hubs of the community are because we want to go to where the people will be. Sometimes that’s not at city hall or the courthouse.”
Because one of the greatest barriers to job searches is transportation, having a mobile unit will hopefully help alleviate that for some people. One of the other hurdles is the lack of reliable internet. That will not be an issue with this mobile unit.
“We will be using satellite Wi-Fi which will not make us rely on the community’s connectivity,” CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Kanawha Valley Dan Owen said. “That is a game changer. It is also handicapped accessible.”
Owen said when he pictured the mobile unit, it was a large tractor-trailer.
“But my staff soon changed my vision,” he said with a smile. “Taking a big rig into rural West Virginia is not an easy task.”
The choice to unveil the Mission Mobile in Jackson County was a deliberate one. When BHE chose the county for its new facility, the region’s United Way was given a gift of $500,000 from the company.
“We were, in many ways, given the freedom to do what we thought best with the money,” DiCicco said. “But we take our responsibility very seriously and we reached out to Goodwill because of their mission of service and Truist became a partner as well.”
The funding was provided by United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley ($100,000) through the BHE donation, Goodwill Industries of the Kanawha Valley ($275,000) and Truist Bank ($25,000).
The first stop for the job services on wheels will be in Jackson County. While the location and date have not been finalized, it is intended to be within the next two weeks.
“My dream is to have a fleet of these,” Owen said. “This is an innovative concept in workforce development. There are resources that we can either offer or connect people with and those in turn can lead to employment.”