WOMEN IN COMMUNITY SERVICE

About Women In Community Service (WICS)

• WICS is a private, non-profit corporation sponsored by a coalition of five major national women's groups - American GI Forum Women, Church Women United, National Council of Catholic Women, National Council of Jewish Women, and National Council of Negro Women.
• WICS was incorporated in 1964.
• WICS, through a combined coalition membership, represents approximately 27 million women.
• WICS is one of the largest volunteer organizations in America.
• WICS volunteers come from various faiths, ethnic origins and races.
• WICS volunteers and/or staff are located in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
• WICS is dedicated to helping young, low-income women break the cycle of poverty and empower themselves.
• WICS has established a Lifeskills program targeted for "at-risk" women in Boston, MA; Nashville, TN; and Portland, OR. The program is sponsored by a major grant from the Kellogg Foundation.
• WICS manages six contracts throughout the country for the federally funded JOB CORPS program.
• WICS volunteers have provided assistance, counseling and guidance to half a million young people during and after their education and training in JOB CORPS.
• WICS regional offices are located in Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Dallas, New York City, Atlanta, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston.
• WICS National Headquarters is at 1900 North Beauregard Street #103, Alexandria, VA 22311. Their phone number is (703) 671-0500 or (800)442-WICS.

Job Corps: Fact Sheet

• Job Corps is America's only residential education and vocational training program designed exclusively for unemployed and undereducated women and men ages 16 through 24.
• For more than 30 years, Job Corps has successfully prepared nearly 1.5 million at-risk youth for jobs, the military or advanced educational opportunities.
• Nearly 7 out of 10 Job Corps graduates are placed in jobs, providing local employers with an excellent source of trained workers.
• Exhaustive longitudinal studies found that for every $1.00 invested in Job Corps, $1.46 is returned to the economy through reductions in the costs of crime and incarceration, decreased income maintenance payments, and tax revenues generated by Job Corps graduates.

• Job Corps provides total support - basic education and vocational classes, dental, medical and eye care, work clothing, social and recreational programs counseling and student leadership activities.
• Job Corps provides free education and vocational training to more than 68,000 students a year at 109 centers in 42 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Five new centers will open over the next few years in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and two in California.
• Job Corps staff work with students in a secure setting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Job Corps students can earn living allowances to pay for everyday living expenses and help defray costs when starting a new job.
• Job Corps training programs are strongly supported by industry and international labor unions.

• Job Corps provides an alternate source of education for high school dropouts: all courses are self-paced and individualized - a proven way to help youths who may not have succeeded in traditional education programs.
• Job Corps students have the opportunity to obtain GED - a high school equivalency diploma.
• More than 100 different career choices are available to students in a wide variety of occupations.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Support Service Volunteer
Make calls to young women leaving job Corps and offer resources in their local community for assistance with employment, housing, child care, health care and more. Volunteers serve as role models, listeners, guides, resources and advisors to help women empower themselves to become self-sufficient and confident. Assist women during their transition back into the community.

Enrollment Hotline Operator
Provide information about Job Corps to interested applicants by answering calls to the job Corps Regional Enrollment Hotline in San Francisco. Direct callers to a local admissions office and route inquiries to the proper location to connect young people to the Job Corps.

Community Researcher
Research agencies in local area to use as resources for women leaving Job Corps. Contact agencies to gather and update information and details about the assistance they offer and compile local resource guides using this information. This information will be used by Support Service volunteers and also sent directly to the women.

Support Service Volunteer Coordinator
Help recruit Support Service volunteers and community researchers in the San Francisco regional office to provide the above mentioned assistance. Coordinate orientations and training on a regular basis. Supervise volunteers and provide on-going, in-service training monthly. A terrific intern position!

Office Assistant
Provide clerical assistance such as completing necessary paperwork on incoming or exiting students from the Job Corps program, filing, typing, data entry and other assigned projects at a nearbv WICS office.

Public Relations
Help with outreach to new students, and with public relations with various community groups and government agencies to inform them about WICS and Job Corps. Another great intern position!

Are you looking for a way to make a real difference in your community? Would you like to help connect young adults to job training and educational opportunities? Please call WICS at (415) 981-8219.

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