Program to pay Reno homeless for river cleanup

Twenty people who live in the downtown Reno homeless shelter will be given jobs cleaning up the Truckee River under a pilot program announced Tuesday by officials with the city of Reno, Washoe County and Volunteers of America.

The program, called Reno Works, is designed to give people living in the shelter a chance to regain their self-sufficiency by providing part-time work, access to case workers and supportive housing. At the end of the 18-week program, officials say they hope the 20 participants can use the real-life work experience to find a full-time job.

"Thank you for the opportunity," said Melanie Young, one of the participants, through tears at a press conference Tuesday. "We will make you proud."

The Reno City Council approved $110,000 for the program on Aug. 26, using money from the city's $10.9 million budget surplus discovered earlier this year -- a substantial portion of that surplus was set aside for blight reduction and homeless assistance.

The money will go toward paying the workers $10 an hour for three days of work each week. It will also go toward paying case workers, crew supervisors and supplementing life classes and staffing.

"We tried to throw every resource and benefit we could at it," said Sandy Isham, Volunteers of America senior development and community relations officer.

While working with city parks and recreation department to clean up the Truckee River and break up encampments along the river, they also will receive an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) certification, learn how to dress and perform in a job interview, write a resume and manage personal finances.

At the end of the program, Reno Works crew members will receive certification of completion and a letter of recommendation. The goal is for each crew member to secure employment and permanent housing.

“Many shelter residents want a job desperately, but face many obstacles that prevent them from working,” said Pat Cashell, the regional director of Volunteers of America. “This program will help remove those barriers so they can obtain employment and feel the pride of standing on their own feet again.”

Jeffrey Stevens, another crew member of Reno Works, said he was ecstatic for the opportunity to put a roof over his family's head especially now that he has a baby on the way.

"I appreciate everything that's been given to us," he said.

Reno City Councilmember Neoma Jardon worked closely with Cashell to develop the Reno Works program, which they hope to one day make a permanent service if the pilot program does well.

“The public has expected something creative and different from us, so I’m glad that we have committed funding to this," Jordan said in a press release. "It’s not only about instilling pride in the workers from a good hard-day’s work, but also cleaning up the river for the community.”

District 3 Washoe County Commissioner Kitty Jung spoke briefly at the press conference, noting the importance of addressing homelessness in Washoe County from a "multi-modal" approach. Instead of addressing symptoms of homelessness by providing handouts, the goal should be to build people up and help them gain life skills and find permanent housing.

"Fighting poverty can be very fun," Isham said while giving a tour of the Volunteers of America Family Shelter.