Faith- and Community-Based Organizations

Over the past several decades, job search support groups, commonly referred to as "job clubs," have evolved into one of several important activities used by the public workforce system and faith- and community-based organizations to enhance worker readiness and employability, as well as to provide ongoing support to unemployed and underemployed individuals as they search for jobs. The overall purpose of this book is to describe the key characteristics of job clubs being offered by a range of faith- and community-based organizations (FBCOs); document how they differ from and are similar to the job clubs operated by publicly-funded workforce agencies (such as at American Job Centers [AJCs]; and identify potential approaches that might be used for more rigorous formal evaluation of impacts and effectiveness. The book also discusses detailed data on FBCO''s contributions to relief efforts following hurricanes, and how FBCOs might help in future disasters.