Abstract

Maricopa County Personnel Services Agency builds community resilience and promotes well-being for county residents experiencing adversity through a variety of programs and services to help people and families thrive. The Maricopa County Personnel Services Agency East Valley Center in Mesa hosted its first Family Resource Fair and Hiring Event on Thursday, July 13, 2023 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. This was a family-friendly, diverse employer hiring event with flexibility built into each job offer. Employers had career opportunities that fit their family-centered lifestyle. Sixteen employers set up interviews and hired on the spot. There were also a variety of valuable resources and services, including free diapers, Head Start enrollment assistance, utility and rent assistance, and career and job training services, aimed at helping families who attended the event. The hiring event was a one-stop, one-location event, with a great opportunity for individuals and families to receive comprehensive services. The Family Resource Fair and Hiring Event was promoted throughout the Maricopa County Public Information Office through social media, radio, and television, drawing a large turnout of job seekers and families. The event is one of many ways Maricopa County is working to provide relief to the community.

The needs the program addresses

Maricopa County's Office of Early Childhood Education sees between 30-100 families each week coming to receive diapers from our Diaper Bank program. We frequently see families with young children forced to choose between obtaining diapers or obtaining necessities like food, rent, gas and clothing. Maricopa County's Office of Humane Services provides services to help these families and individuals prioritize and manage their expenses without compromising their needs or their family's well-being. After determining that these families would benefit from additional resources and opportunities, such as flexible employment, our Workforce Development, Community Services and Early Childhood Education departments work together to plan and execute the first family resource and employment events, providing relief and hope to those in need.

Program Description

The purpose of the Family Resource and Employment Event was to provide effective resources and services to individual job seekers and families in one location. The Maricopa County Human Resources Office's Early Education Division began providing diapers to eligible families at no cost. The Diaper Bank saw a steady increase in the number of families visiting the East Valley Center each week and, through interactions and conversations with them, identified additional unmet needs. Many parents stated they struggled to find employment opportunities that offered the flexibility they needed to meet their family's needs. As a result, the Early Education staff reached out to the Workforce Development Division's Business Services staff for assistance. The result was the Family Resource and Employment Event, which provided additional services, resources, and employment opportunities tailored to the needs of individuals and families.

With the plan in place, the business services team reached out to their employer network. They focused on reaching out to employers who already had jobs posted that offered flextime, part-time, or work-from-home options. They also focused on employers who were hiring on the spot and could offer employment immediately.

Once employers were lined up, Business Services staff also connected with the Community Services department to identify additional resources such as utility and rent assistance. The team also worked with additional community partners and resources to secure discounts on clothing and utility bills.

The date and time for the event was set for Thursday, July 13, 2023, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the East Valley Mesa Center. Confirmation was received from 16 employers and 7 resource partners. To ensure a successful event, staff secured a large event room at the entrance and provided the necessary tables and chairs. There was no charge for employers or community partners to attend the event, making it an attractive option for agencies looking to reach the public. Staff worked to ensure that signage on the day of the event clearly directed employers, vendors, and attendees to the correct locations. An event of this magnitude required a small staff to coordinate before, during, and after the event, and staff, managers, supervisors, and directors came together from multiple locations in the East and West Valleys to help guide job seekers and their families to career and job training services, employers, resources, and diaper banks.

The employer and resource tables were all set up in the same room so that no one missed out. To help job seekers prepare for the event, resume and interview workshops and labs were held in the center's main computer lab starting at 11 a.m. Workforce Development Coordinators provided one-on-one support throughout the day to help job seekers review, revise, or reformat their resumes. They also provided important interview tips on behavior-based questions, scenarios, and soft skills to make a great first impression.

The event was a great success. Job seekers and families came out to the Maricopa County Department of Human Resources Services' first-ever family resource fair and hiring event. Employers were on-site at the East Valley Center to provide information and conduct on-site interviews. All employers were family-friendly and offered telecommuting, part-time, full-time and flextime positions. Department of Human Resources Services also provided other resources for families in need at the event, including clothing, rent and utility assistance and free diapers from the diaper bank.

There was a steady stream of people throughout the day. Families and job seekers were grateful for the opportunity and access to the services we provided. Employers were also impressed with the event and shared the following comments, all of whom said they would like to attend again:

The Department of Human Services is committed to providing innovative, equitable, inclusive and comprehensive services with a collaborative approach that preserves dignity, promotes respect and advances social and economic mobility.

Through an extensive collaboration with internal departments (Early Education, Business Services, Community Services, Human Resources, Workforce Development, Communications, East and West Center staff, supervisors, managers, and top county leadership), this first Family Resource and Employment event was a huge success, and we are currently planning another event in October at the West Valley Center.

Program Fee

There is no cost involved other than the time and effort of the staff involved.

Program Results/Success

The Family Resource Fair and Recruiting Event was a success, with 11 people participating in the resume and interview workshop, over 120 people in attendance, 111 interviews conducted, and over 10 people hired so far with more waiting to be hired.

This event was a perfect demonstration of the impact that resources and programs can make in a community. The collaboration between the three sectors truly embodies the overall purpose of humanitarian aid: to give people seeking a better life the opportunity to become self-sufficient for themselves and their families.