By Catherine Cuellar, KERA 90.1 Reporter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-482663.mp3
Hurricane Evacuees Attend Dallas Job Fair
Dallas, TX –
Catherine Cuellar, 90.1 reporter: The Dallas Convention Center occupies the entire block next to City Hall. Currently it's being used as a Red Cross emergency shelter and FEMA Disaster Recovery Center. Yesterday, those agencies were joined by room after room of booths filled with recruiters from local companies, hospitals, and schools like Jeff Strese of Southern Methodist University.
Jeff Strese, SMU: What was the name of the company you last worked for?
David Sterling: The last one was Pay Time RVs. We service RVs. I tell people in my years experience, it's a house on wheels
Cuellar: David Sterling used public transportation to get to the job fair. He arrived from New Orleans last week with his two sons and two grandsons.
Sterling: As of yesterday I signed them up in school. I think I'm going to stay. And I expect to have my own vehicle soon because I had one down in the flood so I've got to work on getting another one.
Cuellar: Sterling hopes he''ll hear from SMU about a job. In the meantime he's going to pursue all leads. For those relocating permanently, career opportunities range from teaching and nursing to maintenance and retail. Others who hope to return and rebuild soon also have options. Sandy Olson is a recruiter for the Dallas-based 7-11 convenience store chain.
Sandy Olson, 7-11: Because we have over 230 stores in Dallas Fort Worth we always have openings. To give you an exact number is difficult but there will be openings and if I don't have one today I usually have one tomorrow.
Cuellar: The job fair was organized by WorkSource for Dallas County, the local arm of the Texas Workforce Commission. The commission has been holding fairs all over the state. WorkSource also opened an employment center in the emergency shelter earlier this week, which has been counseling 200 job seekers an hour, according to president Laurie Larrea.
Laurie Larrea, WorkSource for Dallas County: We can't go into this and say of course we can cover everyone's need. We don't have that many jobs. We don't have that much opportunity. But we can begin as we normally do our daily work, one person, one job at a time. We're also finding that jobs are not necessarily going to come from our pocket areas but throughout the state of Texas and throughout the country.
Cuellar: But moving again is difficult for those who have lost their cars and are eager to put down roots. Reginald Dove has traveled from Louisiana along with his parents, brother, and stepson. They're staying with another family in a Dallas suburb.
Reginald Dove from New Orleans: Today I'm looking for something in sales. My forte is sales. I've done sales all my life in New Orleans. Whether a doorman, car salesman, waiter, so my sales ability is going to help me get a job.
Cuellar: Dove's evacuee status is evident only because he's wearing a bright plastic wristband, which grants him access to services in the emergency shelter. He's ready to lose the bracelet and call Dallas home. For NPR News, I'm Catherine Cuellar.
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