Countywide : 3 Agencies to Receive Grants for Job Training for Homeless

Three social service agencies will receive a total of $75,000 as part of a program aimed at helping homeless people gain access to job training programs.

The county Board of Supervisors has agreed to give $40,000 to the Orange County Homeless Issues Task Force, $12,600 to the Dayle McIntosh Center for the Disabled and $22,400 to the Friendship Shelter Inc.

The federal grant money will be used to identify homeless people who might benefit from job training. The three agencies plan to assist more than 70 homeless people with the new program.

Once the homeless people enter job training, the counselors will “stay in touch with them to give them an extra boost,” said Jane O’Grady, the county’s division manager for special programs.

Tim Shaw, executive director of the Orange County Homeless Issues Task Force, said his group will use the grant money to send caseworkers to shelters in hopes of finding homeless people interested in job training.

“It’s basically funding for outreach,” Shaw said. “Traditionally, homeless people have had difficulty gaining access to [job training]. This helps expedite the process.”