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Business & Tech

Job Seekers Group Offers Hope, Help and Hot Coffee

Unemployed Tucker-Northlake residents meet to share job leads, resume help and emotional support.

Unemployment can be terrifying, but there is a group in Tucker working to make it a little less scary.

According to the Georgia Department of Labor, DeKalb County has seen a recent decline in the unemployment rate, which still hovers at the 10% mark. If you’re one of the thousands of Dekalb County residents looking for work, the 0.5% decrease in the jobless rate will come as little comfort.

When Katherine Griffith of Tucker found herself unemployed, she knew others in her community must be facing the same struggles. “There wasn’t anything in the Tucker area that I could find,” she said. “I had to go all the way to Snellville or North Atlanta to find a networking group or just a good group to meet. So, I decided to start one. This area is prime for that.”

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Early in 2011, Griffith and several friends who were also unemployed began meeting for coffee. Calling their meetings “Just Coffee,” the group provided one another with emotional support. This casual atmosphere evolved as members actively sought ways to improve their job possibilities. “Just Coffee” became the “More Than Coffee – A Job Seekers Group,” regularly meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday mornings in Panera Bread’s Northlake location. All unemployed members of the community are welcome, with no RSVP required. A sign will identify the group, who meet in the restaurant’s back dining area.

Griffith credits her church for support in getting More Than Coffee off the ground. “We are an outreach of Tucker First United Methodist Church, but that does not mean you have to be a member. We have members of the community that are coming on Thursday mornings,” Griffith said. “This is a community effort. It’s people helping people.”

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More Than Coffee currently has approximately ten members total, and is expanding. “It’s starting to grow. There’s identity, there’s movement. We are still small, but…this could grow very well.” Members are making progress. One moved beyond initial interviews for a position, and another will hear back from an interview soon.  Two members landed full-time employment. While not every lead originated within More Than Coffee, the connections and networking knowledge gained by the members inspire Griffith. “I’m really, really excited.”

More Than Coffee members share job leads and information through an email list. If you would like to be included in these emails, send a note to jobs@tfumc.org indicating that you’d like to receive messages from the group. Employers may also send job postings to this email address and they will be passed along to group members. Information on full or part-time work, as well as short-term employment and contract work is welcome and appreciated.

Another important element of More Than Coffee is offering resume help, interviewing tips and information on the best use of networking sites such as  Facebook and LinkedIn. While using social networking sites as part of a job search may seem unusual to some, Griffith believes they are important. “You have got to have an edge. The rules have changed and we’ve got to rethink everything. You’ve got to reinvent yourself.”

Griffith is looking for qualified volunteers to offer career advice and training. If you have a Human Resources background and are willing to donate an hour of your time to let people ask questions about resumes, interviews and follow-ups, Griffith would love to hear from you. Even if your company does not have job openings, More Than Coffee members could benefit from discussion with people directly related to hiring new employees. Email Griffith at kbgriffith@bellsouth.net to schedule a time to meet with the group.

If you are unemployed and would like to be a part of More Than Coffee, simply show up at Panera for a Thursday morning meeting or email Griffith for more information. “It’s growing and we’re getting ideas and we’re helping people and making an impact,” Griffith commented. “That’s what it’s all about.”

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