For employment program coordinator, personal experience ties into mission

OMAHA, Neb.—Helping others find their way is something Christina Negrete is used to.

She is currently The Salvation Army of Omaha’s coordinator for A Way to Work program. This program gives those who are experiencing homelessness temporary part-time work with the city, while helping them achieve full-time employment.

"I do a lot of the office-side work by helping them put in applications, build their resume, or just giving them job referrals or job leads," Negrete said.

She said out of the 28 program participants last year, 10 of them landed full-time jobs.  She added that there are 30 people on its waiting list.

Along with employment, A Way to Work also helps clients with housing. 

"We've actually got some of our clients moved into The Salvation Army Renaissance Village,” Negrete said.  “And then we also help them sign up for general assistance to get that for housing as well.

"We have ICS, which is Intensive Community Services.  That would be for those that need that mental health support.  And we also have Emergency Community Support department for those individuals as well."

Before A Way to Work, Negrete had worked in case management with Nebraska’s Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) program.

"And then prior to this job, I was a career coach there at the workforce building down on 56th and Ames."

Negrete attributes her involvement with this program to her personal journey.

"I got into this because I, myself, became a single mother.  I went to go apply for assistance, and the case worker there talked me into getting into the human services field."

Before that, she had never heard about the program.

"I thought it was just maybe another case worker position with The Salvation Army.  But once I got in here, I realized it was an employment program."

In a way, it ties into what The Salvation Army’s mantra, “Doing the Most Good,” means to her.

"'Doing the Most Good' means giving back to the community and watching them be successful and helping them any way that you can."