Contact: Phil Rydman
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Hold for release for Monday, September 6 (Labor Day) Editions

HOMELESS EDUCATED, READY TO WORK SURVEY SAYS

4-in-5 Have High School Diploma or Equivalent 

(Kansas City) September 6, 2004 --- Countering the conventional wisdom, a recent survey shows that four out of five homeless people working to rejoin the labor force have achieved at least a high school diploma, GED or Vocational Certificate.  The national survey was released today by the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions (AGRM).  The results were a surprise, as one of the most common reasons assumed for unemployment among the homeless is a lack of education.

The loss of a job had a direct impact in homelessness for 53% of those responding.  “Obviously, there are many issues involved in why a person becomes homeless,” said Rev. Steve Burger, Executive Director of AGRM.  “The loss of a job is one of them.”  

In addition, two in five respondents were working in a full-time or regularly scheduled part-time position when they became homeless.  “In today’s economy, just having a job doesn’t keep you from being homeless,” stated Burger.  “It should be the goal of service providers and employers to upgrade workers beyond minimum wage positions for the good of everyone.”

Burger also noted that 40% reported they had lost a full-time or regularly scheduled part-time job in the six months prior to the survey.  Of those, 62% said addiction had a part in the job loss, and 28% responded that they had quit the position.  “Most often, performance issues were the reason for losing a job,” Burger said.  “Less than one-in-six attributed it to things that I would term ‘no fault’ job loss – illness or injury, relocation, the business was closed, or the position was eliminated.”

When asked how the mission program had helped them prepare to re-enter the job market, 54% said addiction recovery, 37% personal counseling, 32% restored personal relationships, 30% stable address, 24% work therapy, 23% anger management, and 19% job readiness programs.*  Only 8% said the mission had not helped them prepare for the job market at all.  “Those participating in mission programs say that the remedy for homelessness includes much more than affordable housing,” Burger stated.

Previous job stability was higher than expected.  Nearly half (45%) replied that they were employed in only one or two jobs during the previous five years.  “For potential employers, I think that is a welcome number,” Burger said.  “We’ve discovered that a significant portion of the people in rescue mission programs have the ability and desire to be stable employees.”

The survey also asked about work history among the respondents.  Construction (39%), Food Service (35%), Warehouse (31%), and Factory or Assembly Line (26%) were the most frequently noted types of jobs previously held.  Of note, 13% said that they had management experience.  When asked what types of work they would seek after they leave the mission, each of those fields experienced significant decline, while increases were noted in Medical, Technology, Education and Ministry fields.  “With the help of mission programs, people are hoping to move from manual labor to helping jobs,” Burger said.

In terms of the economy, 87% indicated that they were ready to seek a job and 53% believe it is no harder to find work today than it was six months ago.

The survey, completed in August, asked nearly 2,500 individuals about labor and homelessness at 60 rescue mission rehabilitation programs across North America.  To provide confidentiality, the “blind survey” was conducted in classroom settings with respondents returning the study facedown and unsigned.  

Founded in 1913, the Kansas City-based Association of Gospel Rescue Missions represents 298 Rescue Missions in communities across North America which provide emergency food and shelter, youth and family services, rehabilitation programs for the addicted, and assistance to the elderly, poor and at-risk youth.  Last year, AGRM missions served more than 35 million meals, provided 13 million nights of lodging, distributed more than 24 million pieces of clothing and graduated 18,000 homeless men and women into productive living.

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Further information is available on the AGRM website at www.rescuemissions.com or by calling 1-800-4RESCUE.

*When appropriate, the survey asked those participating to check all responses that applied.