Boston is not Worcester!

The other day, I was speaking with a friend of mine who lives in New York City and he asked me, "What's it like living in Boston?" Well, I first had to tell him that I live 45-minutes West of Boston.
He was asking about Boston because he looking for a change and he's found a number of jobs in the Boston-area.

I had to break it down for him:

Boston is the largest city in New England, and it's got an inferiority complex (C'mon, you know Boston always tries to compete with NYC, Chicago & LA).

Boston is home to 45 colleges/ universities within a 20-mile radius.

Boston has Logan Airport, the Boston Celtics, the Boston Bruins, and The Big Dig.

It doesn't sound bad, but I had to tell him about the traffic, which he's accustomed to living in NYC, and the horrible drivers that occupy the roadways. (I know, the drivers in Worcester can be worse, especially when they don't stop for school buses with flashing lights or pedestrians in a crosswalk.)

And, lastly, I told him the rents and the real estate is VERY expensive.

I then went onto telling him about the number of people that I know that live in Worcester and commute to Boston daily.

These folks have chosen to spend 2-3 hours in commuting for trade-offs such as:

• An affordable apartment or house.

• Morning traffic jams prior to 8 am during the school year, and after 5 pm during the evening commute.

• There are 7 colleges/ universities within a 15 mile radius.

• Great restaurants to dine at.

And, lastly, green space where people relax and play sports.

I don't know if I completely "sold" him Worcester, yet, so I invited him to spend a few days in the WORC.

Maybe I can get Mayor O'Brien, and a few select folks to make a pitch at why Matt should pick to live in Worcester over Boston?

Fair Housing Project: Contract Jobs

Do you want to help end housing discrimination? Then the Fair Housing Project is interested in you!

Attend our next fair housing training and find out how YOU can help end housing discrimination.

When: Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Time: 10am - 2pm   

Where: Worcester, Massachusetts

Can I do it?

• No experience necessary - we will provide training
• You must be detail-oriented and good at following instructions
• There is a limited time commitment
• You cannot have a criminal record
• You MUST have your own transportation and be willing to travel throughout Worcester County.

How do I sign up?

Please contact: Liza at (508) 752-3722 x 334 (sorry, we cannot respond to e-mails).

This is an independent contractor position for a non-profit organization.Compensation: $50 for training, practice test and debriefing; $10/hr for assignments.

The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under a grant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and finding of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Government.

Fair Housing Project: Contract Work (Jobs)

Do you want to help end housing discrimination? Then the Fair Housing Project is interested in you!

Attend our next fair housing training and find out how YOU can help end housing discrimination.

When: Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Time: 10am - 2pm   

Where: Worcester, Massachusetts

Can I do it?

• No experience necessary - we will provide training
• You must be detail-oriented and good at following instructions
• There is a limited time commitment
• You cannot have a criminal record
• You MUST have your own transportation and be willing to travel throughout Worcester County.

How do I sign up?

Please contact: Liza at (508) 752-3722 x 334 (sorry, we cannot respond to e-mails).

This is an independent contractor position for a non-profit organization.
Compensation: $50 for training, practice test and debriefing; $10/hr for assignments.

The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under a grant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and finding of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Government.

Jobs in Amercia

Many economists and analyst have boldly stated that the recession is over and and things have turned around. 

While 431,000 jobs have been added in May is being reported, the fastest increase in 10-years, that increase is below analyst's expectations.

There are many families that continue to struggle to put food on the table. 

With the average person working multiple jobs in order to live, it's a wonder the foreclosures haven't been more dramatic for Worcester & Worcester County.

Everyday, as I drive throughout the City, I notice more and more of the yellow and black "Auction" signs.  Have you noticed them?

What does this say about Worcester?

Also, if you're looking for a job in the City, now more than ever, you'd better know someone because it's hard get your foot, much less your toe, in the door.

So, where are the newly created jobs in Worcester?  Please let me know if you see one and I can present at least 5 people that are very qualified.

Savers Thrift Store: Hiring in Worcester

I received an email today from Savers Thrift Store regarding their job fair taking place next week right here in Worcester. Here are the details.

WORCESTER, Mass. – May 7, 2010 – Savers thrift store chain today announced it will add more than 50 jobs to the Worcester community with a July 15, 2010 store opening. The new store is the second in Worcester and will be located at 490 Lincoln Street, providing local shoppers with even more great bargains on quality secondhand merchandise. On May 10-12, Savers will host a hiring fair in preparation for the opening, with the intent to fill all 50 open positions. The new store will be the 11th in Massachusetts.

Amid current economic times, secondhand stores are a welcome resource for shoppers looking to stretch their budget, and the industry has remained strong. Thrift continues to be one of the fastest growing retail segments and Savers is a category leader with more than 240 stores across the U.S., Canada and Australia. A career track with Savers provides invaluable retail experience and training, as well as opportunities for individuals to quickly advance through the company.

The hiring fair will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Worcester from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and applicants need to apply in person. Open positions are available for individuals with customer service and sales experience, and also to applicants seeking entry-level retail positions. Employment opportunities include both back room store production positions and sales floor roles, in both part and full-time.

Interested hiring fair candidates can visit www.savers.com for more company information.

About Savers, Inc.

Founded in 1954, Savers, Inc. is a privately held for-profit international thrift store chain with more than 240 locations in the United States, Canada and Australia. Also known as Value Village in the western United States and Canadian provinces (and as Village des Valeurs in Quebec), the company benefits more than 128 local non-profit offices by purchasing and reselling donated items. The result has been over one billion dollars directly paid to non-profit organizations. The company employs more than 12,000 people in 25 states, 10 Canadian provinces and Australia. More information at www.savers.com.

Education: Teacher Pink Slips

The City of Worcester is about to get dumber by firing 54 teachers! And who loses? The children who will lose a teacher, a confidant and generally someone that they've built a rapport with.

There needs to be more "noise" made about this and I think that folks need to be realistic and realize that in order to pay teachers, the City does have to raise property taxes. Teachers need to be paid and the students deserve to have the tools that allow them to compete in this rapidly changing world.

It Ain't NO Joke!: Educational Jobs Cut in Worcester

Reading the news that some 124 positions will be eliminated and thus the children of Worcester are the ones who pay the price, on top of those teachers that will loose their job.

When are WE, in America, going to understand that education is the most important "tool" we can give our children?

People need to let their voices be heard!

Dress for Success pt. 2

Saturday was a BEAUTIFUL day to be outside enjoying the spring-like weather and maybe doing some yard work or playing outside with the kids.

For me, the day began as it typically does, a few cups of Cafe Bustelo coffee, and a quick scan of the Worcester websites & blogs-- Wormtowntaxi.com, Telegram.com, DailyWorcesteria.com and Boston.com, just to make sure Beacon Hill was safe.

Once the Al Gore-like check of the Internet was completed, I then ventured out to run a few errands and catch-up with some folks who have been asking to meet face-to-face so that we can get to know one another. Once the missions were completed, it was time for the FUN to begin!

Good people are always drawn to other GREAT people and such is the case with Kaly Sullivan, Boutique Coordinator, for Dress for Success Worcester. You may have read my St. Patrick's Day post about the upcoming Dress for Success sale that took place on Saturday from 12 pm to 2 pm, where everything in the boutique was priced at $5. Yes, every item was $5!

Kaly Sullivan

I arrived around 12:30 pm and the boutique was bustling with activity, energy and an eclectic mix of music playing over the stereo system. (I heard Jahiem "Fabulous" and Coldplay "Viva La Vida", to name a few.)

On more than one occasion, I overheard women commenting that they couldn't believe that a particular dress, blouse or pants were, "ONLY $5?". The women were having a good time and, in some cases, three-generations of families were shopping and purchasing clothes not only for themselves but for friends and relatives.





I'm sure when I speak to Kaly about the remainder of the day, she'll have nothing but positive things to say, but as a first-hand witness, it was a GREAT day and GREAT people showed up and got some GREAT clothing.





Learn more about Dress for Success Worcester and be sure to become a fan of their page on Facebook.

Dress for Success: Dressing Up Worcester....One Dress at a Time

When the Dress for Success Worcester space, in the Denholm Building, was being renovated, I watched a woman carefully hand-paint the "Dress for Success" sign above the doors. I admired her patience, attention to detail and, more importantly, the care that she exuded as she painted.

Dress for Success Worcester opened its door in May 2009, and while some folks may not know about them yet, it's a MAJOR deal to have such an organization in Worcester. With over 110 locations throughout the world, Worcester was one of the 12 cities selected in 2008 to become an affiliate, beating over 650 other applicants.


With an erratic economy, and a cut-throat job market, Dress for Success has been able to assist women with free clothing in preparation for their job interview and clothing for once they are employed. The challenge for many women and one which Dress for Success addresses directly is, "how do you get a job without anything to wear, how do you afford something to wear without a job?"

It may seem like a simple statement, but it's not. Looking good and thus feeling good, in preparation for a job interview, is just one of the hurdles that any person has to overcome throughout the job search process.



While Dress for Success Worcester is located in the City, there are "feeder" agencies throughout Worcester County, to the tune of 25, that refer women that are looking for professional clothes.

Since May 2009, Dress for Success Worcester has conducted over 250 appointments with women looking for professional clothing. I'm sure there are more than a few well-dressed women working right now, thanks to Dress for Success Worcester.

As a matter of fact, this coming Saturday, March 20, 2010 from 12 pm to 2 pm, Dress for Success Worcester is holding their Spring Clothing Sale. The event is being held at the Dress for Success Boutique and they'll be selling their extra (like-new, sometimes brand new, name-brand) inventory of business and casual women's clothing and shoes. Everything will cost $5! And the great thing besides purchasing some great clothes, all the money raised goes towards Dress for Success Worcester and its many programs.

Also, beginning tomorrow (18th) through Sunday, March 21, 2010 there's the Gap Give & Get event that benefits Dress for Success nationally and locally.

This weekend, March 18-21, you can save 30% off at all Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic stores (including outlets) AND 5% of every purchase will be donated to Dress for Success. Plus Dress for Success Worcester can win up to $5000 for getting the word out about this event. Please visit their website www.dressforsuccess.org/worcester to print your coupon AND pass on this information to your friends, family and co-workers. Another great way to help, is to become a fan of Dress for Success Worcester on Facebook and share the link that they've posted with your friends.

Since Give & Get began in 2008, Gap Inc. has raised over $9 million for its nonprofit partners, and the company is looking to surpass $10 million this March! Dress for Success is thrilled to be a beneficiary of Give & Get and we hope that you will shop Gap, Gap Outlet, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Outlet and Old Navy stores with our organization in mind!

So, tell a friend to tell a friend about Dress for Success Worcester because there may be someone sitting right now that needs an outfit to get that job that will allow them to get back on their feet and it may start with that one dress from Dress for Success Worcester.

Twittering might help you find a JOB

In a wild and crazy economy, people have resorted to all sorts of ways to landing that job interview. Just last week CNN reported that the number of people lying on their resume rises when jobs are scarce.

Now, in the era of 24/7 news reporting channels and the unending plethora of information available on the World Wide Web, in enters social media darling Twitter.

For those that are not familiar with Twitter or wonder what all the hype is about, please read this article, which I found very straightforward in explaining why Twitter is so popular and important, at the same time.

The key with Twitter is that it's not solely about micro-blogging, but rather it's about the people who use the service and the information that they share.

Well, now folks are using Twitter to gather job leads and gathering information about the company.

Depressed Cities

BusinessWeek Magazine did their yearly ranking of 'America's
Unhappiest Cities' and it appears that after the numbers have been
tallied, Worcester isn't on the list. Thank goodness for that!( Time
to celebrate by ice skating on the rink on the Worcester Commons.)

The city that took the number one spot was Portland, Oregon with St.
Louis, New Orleans and Detroit ranked as second, third and fourth,
respectively.

Based upon items such as suicide rates, murders, divorces and
unemployment, BusinessWeek put together their ranking.

Where does this leave Worcester? We can take sollace that we have an
upcoming election and CHANGE is in the air, or is that the odor from
the Millbury Street compost site that I'm smelling at the moment?

Project Dropout: Inmates Long For Another Shot

Thirty years ago, someone without a high-school diploma could expect to find a job that would pay enough to at least avoid poverty. Now, that's almost impossible.



In the second report in WBUR's series, Project Dropout, WBUR's Deborah Becker talks with people about not having a high-school diploma -- including some who say their lack of an education helped put them behind bars.

WBUR's Mobile post sent by SoleProprietor using Utterli.  Replies.  mp3

You think we have it bad?

Times are tough even in China, where factory workers are having a hard time finding work. And guess who they blame their demise on? Yep, good old Americans. Read the story here.

Obama: Jobs Galore?

In his Democratic Radio Address over the weekend, President-elect Barack Obama discussed his plans to put people back to work and get our economy moving again. Obama has directed his economic team to assemble an Economic Recovery Plan that will save or create 2.5 million more jobs by January of 2011. Let's the games begin!

Homelessness: Outside looking in