I mentioned a couple of blogs ago that we had two guests at a recent Seacoast Peers for Careers meeting; one was Michelle Hart from NHWorks and the other, Laura Hedges, an intern reporter for the Portsmouth Herald. This was the first meeting at which we had a speaker.
Laura’s follow up article appeared in the Portsmouth Herald on Sunday, August 23, 2009, taking the theme about how “job clubs” are gaining in popularity because of the large numbers of unemployed. You can read the full article at http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090823-BIZ-908230321. While I feel that “empowerment group” better describes us, I do understand the media’s need for an encompassing term for all the different types of groups, seminars, classes, and the like that are designed to help folks find work.
Laura let the voices of the group be heard which really reinforced the healing and empowering capability of the group process when it is done in a surrounding of safety, respect, and joy.
We had agreed that developing a LinkedIn presence as well as advertising those meetings at which we had speakers was something to explore. If the numbers increased, we would adjust. The gift that we have had in the instant camaraderie and trust that developed has empowered us to take that risk in order to help others in similar situations to our own.
… and risk taking is the only way to find opportunities for ourselves as well.