Katrina victims attend job fair

Teresha Weinkein tried to put herself in the shoes of the thousands of workers who were rudely kicked out of their homes by Hurricane Katrina and scattered across the country.

They still have bills to pay. They still have to come up with money for food, rent for their new dwellings and other necessities. And they're probably tired of sitting around waiting for a welcome home.

So Weinkein, manager of the staffing company Kelly Services, realized she could assist them in finding the one thing that would help cure all of those problems.

Work.

On Wednesday, Kelly Services sponsored a job fair at the Salvation Army in Cape Girardeau. The company, with an office in Cape Girardeau and based in Troy, Mich., even ran an newspaper advertisement inviting Hurricane Katrina victims to attend.

The results were mixed: Twenty people came from around the local community looking for assistance in getting a job and only five people showed up from New Orleans. But that's still five people who are on their way to getting a job, she said.

"We want to help them get back on their feet," she said. "We don't want to give a handout, but a hand up."

Kelly Services has the resources to get them work, she said. Kelly owns and operates nearly 2,600 offices in 29 countries and territories. Kelly provides employment to more than 700,000 employees annually, she said.

Once they got there, the displaced workers filled out basic work history forms and took several tests to see which job would suit them best.

They took a manual dexterity test, for example, which timed them while they figured out which bolts and wing-nuts matched and how long it took them to put them together. That test gauged their speed, dexterity and accuracy. Those who are competent in that area would work well in a light industrial job, Weinkein said.

There were also tests in clerical work, computers, administrative, factory and professional jobs. Weinkein gave the workers her card and asked them to show up at their Cape Girardeau offices at 623 S. Silver Springs Road. There, they can determine which job would fit well with an individual's talents and skills.

She said that there are many jobs out there for people who want to work, especially those who were left jobless in the aftermath of Katrina.

"We don't want them to give up," she said. "And even if we can't get them a job through Kelly, we'll get on the phone and contact other employers. Working gives people a purpose."

Weinkein didn't ask those from New Orleans about their experiences.

"They didn't share a lot and they didn't act as though they wanted to," she said. "I got the sense they were tired of talking about it."

smoyers@semissourian.com

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