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Technical Learning for Better Job Placement

New Developments Update
 

April 2, 05

We have begun a partnership with CCLU - Centro Cultural Latinos Unidos in Pottstown

 

This is an outreach to the emerging Latino community here in town.  Its focus is an after school program to help out working families.  They are good educators, and had a need to obtain computers for training kids in keyboarding, internet, ESL (English as a Second Language), and resume writing for the older teens.  We needed a building to host our Computer Initiative working with the poor to develop needed skills for today’s job market.  So, we began a partnership with them, donating 10 desktop computers, networking, and printing capabilities.

 

We are having difficulties obtaining enough copies of Windows Operating Systems (OS) Licenses to load onto these machines.  The cost will be approximately $1500 to $2000 to supply all of the machines.  Installation of the hardware will begin Friday.

 

Please pray for that we can be effective in this endeavor, blessing the people of this community.

We have wonderfully qualified IT Professionals affiliated with Still Waters and the Manna Ministry.
 
We are currently procuring software, and desktop computers for a tutored Windows and MS Office Products certificate program to be provided FREE of charge for those needing better job placement.
 
This can be a woderful ministry to help some out of low paying food service jobs, to better paying placement.
 
Please pray for this ministry as it developes.

Sept. 3, 04

While in prayer...

for one of our team members, asking God how to use his unique gifting with Information Technology as a ministry for the Kingdom, God reminded me that most of those living in poverty in Pottstown, can only work fast food jobs.  How wonderful if we could use Steve’s giftedness with IT to train folks for better jobs through technology training classes.  We were seeking to train, test, and certify people on office products.  Afterward, we would seek to work with different agencies in the borough to connect them to employers.

 

Oh, how God has blown us away!!

 

Steve jumped at the possibility, and as you can see, we would need some stuff to do this; software, hardware and training material.

 

I spoke of this to Sherri Rabenold who enthusiastically talked to Drager Medical (her employer) if we might be able to obtain some of their old computers after they are decommissioned.  I found the proper software on a clearance bargain table for the whole project, and it seemed as though we might actually be able to do this. 

 

We were now only looking for a few computers to fill four, or five desks. 

 

How blown away we all were when the folks from Drager gave us four truckloads of equipment –- all of which is operable.  Laptops, Desktops, Monitors, LAN, Routers, 3 Servers, Copiers, and Printers! 

 

PRAISE GOD!  I would never have believed this, but…PRAISE GOD!!

 

We are praying and working to see what He wants done with all of this.  Our limited, meager vision was obviously shortsighted.  Now, as we follow God, we are looking for what He wants done – a form of prayer.  And of course, He answers prayer, often not as we would imagine.

 

There are some very exciting things on the horizon as we are seeing some very unique ways to bless this community (and others) through these gifts.

 

Now, only yesterday, I was informed by Luis at Drager, who is becoming a pretty good friend, that we will be receiving possibly 80 more computers by January 2005. 

 

We didn’t set out to do anything huge, but God has plans that we need to be sensitive to as He unfolds this for us.  Imagine, this came from a simple prayer about how to use a simple talent for His purpose.  Imagine, what He might do for you in a simple yielded posture…

 

We’ll keep you posted.

Kork

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Still Waters is a Grace Brethren Church located in Pottstown PA. We are a different and re-imagined way of being Church. Church is not a building, but God's loving people serving his creation.

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