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The Community Council of South-Central Texas is supporting residents who can't afford to support themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic through a Self-Sufficiency Fund Program designed to provide training in multiple fields.
“We were given a grant issued by the Texas Workforce Commission in order to get people out of poverty and have them be self-sufficient,” Mary Colvin, Self-Sufficiency Fund program manager, told the Seguin Daily News. "The grant provides an education certificate for people that earn under $37,000 a year. You have to have a dependent child and you also need to have SNAP or TANEF benefits. Certifications now have changed due to COVID but we are offering medical billing and coding. We are also offering medical administrative assistants. We are offering a medication-aide program which for the medication-aide, you currently need to be a CNA and you need to be employed in a nursing home. Those three programs are offered through Coastal Bend College. We are also offering an IT class and a logistics which is a warehouse class and those classes are being offered by Alamo Colleges."
The program is free for residents, Colvin said. During the program, residents will also receive utility and rental assistance up to two years. The program will also help individuals find jobs.
“The benefit is the classes are not long, eight to 12 weeks top, and then when you are done and you pass your exam, we have a list of employers that are willing to do interviews and possibly hire you straight from being out of school,” Colvin said. "So, we are trying to alleviate that stress, also."
But some classes have already started, which is why Colvin is asking interested individuals to contact her as soon as they can to sign up.
“Some of the classes are starting actually (today) for the medical classes. IT is still available. Logistics is still available but there’s always a chance that the classes can be pushed back a week or two, so I always want someone to come to me and at least inquire,” Colvin said.
Applications for classes can be found online. Interested individuals can contact Colvin at 830-491-2585 for more information or questions.
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