Lines were long at the Freeman complex, with many attendees eager for a fresh start.
SAN ANTONIO — Hours before the doors opened for the Bexar County Second Chance Job Fair, the line stretched across the parking lot at the Freeman Expo Hall.
People desperate for a job that would put them back on track said the wait was worth it.
April Denbo said as a recovering addict who needs a break, the event is a blessing.
“This makes me feel lovely. This is something that brings joy to my heart,” Denbo said.
Sandi Garcia echoed her sentiment, saying finding a good job is on her wish list.
“I am also a recovering addict and I believe everybody deserves a second chance,” Garcia said.
“It’s hard because people look at our background and they always judge us from our past and this will give us an opportunity to show people that we can come back and be positive people,” she added.
The man standing in line behind them, who said his name is Joe, said “I got out a month ago and I took advantage of the resources that are available. I came out with nothing. No ID. No clothes. No anything. Now the next step is the job.”
Joe Linson of Tony G’s Soul Food and Chelsea’s Catering was greeting everyone with a warm smile and a simple question. “Are you looking for work?” which was quickly followed by an enthusiastic “Can you cook?”
Tiffany Perez said “I was given a second chance myself. Me and my husband are the owners of Alamo’s Finest Installs and we are here to provide second chance opportunities for others.”
Perez said offering a hand up is very satisfying work.
“It definitely warms my heart because I know what it is to be in a position where I thought I didn’t have a second chance and to be able to provide this is such a blessing!”
She said making these connections are blessings that extend to whole families.
“They are allowed to grow and provide for their families and gain that self-confidence back in their life,” Perez said.
“It’s definitely a stepping stone and we love to see it,” she added.
Greg Hunt of Staff Zone said “We are looking for people that are trying to re-integrate back into the work force, people who want a second chance and we want to give them that opportunity.”
The company provides construction, light industrial, special event and certified flagging services.
Hunt said they return to the event at every opportunity because they have experienced success in the past.
“We have the most motivated workers coming in,” Hunt said, adding “They are hungry for an opportunity and a lot of times they have not been given a hand up so that’s what we’re here for.”
Hunt said his company is a good fit for many who have obligations related to their legal status.
“We know everyone has their unique circumstances and we accommodate them to the best of our abilities.”
Work schedules are completely flexible, Hunt said, adding “If they have classes they need to attend to they are more than welcome to work as many or as few days with us as necessary.”
Noting the long line of applicants, Hunt said he was happy to see so many motivated candidates and he planned to leave the event with a good list of hopefuls.
Precinct Four County Commissioner Tommy Calvert said co-sponsoring the event is one of his favorite public services.
“When I’m in the grocery store I get stopped with words of thanks for this event for more than anything I do. It makes me feel very happy people are still employed. They’ve changed their lives,” Calvert said.
“I am happy to see that industry is still catching on to the fact that there is an untapped labor force that is ready to go to work for them,” Calvert said of retention and productivity rates.
“We have some of the largest employers in town who are here because they find people who are ready and eager to work so it’s exciting,” Calvert said.
At a time when the economy is uneasy, Calvert said “It’s wonderful to see we have hiring and people hungry to go to work.”
Calvert said the event blossomed from its beginning as a way for Bexar County to hire job candidates from the area around the Frost Bank Center.
“You have unemployment much higher all around here in the census tracts that surround the Coliseum,” Calvert said of the area that sees few job fairs.
Finally, he said, putting formerly incarcerated people in jobs is a much better alternative to sending them back to lockup.
“We have 7,000 people coming home every month from our criminal justice system, so it’s better that we have them in these jobs than in our jails,” Calvert said.
For anyone who missed the event, Bexar County does operate the Reentry Center at 222 South Comal where they provide referrals to many services including access to education and specialized job training.
For more information on the Reentry Center, click here.