A decade on the job of finding jobs

In November, the Asbury Career Transition (ACT) Ministry celebrated 10 years of assisting area residents in adapting and advancing their career paths.

Since it was founded, ACT has helped more than 1,000 people from the greater Birmingham area find employment. Participants often lost their jobs from business closures or downsizing, were divorced housewives needing to reenter the work force or were recent college graduates needing jobs.

ACT Mentor Coordinator and Orientation Leader Myrtice Carr said she expects that number to grow exponentially in the future. When the program began in 2002, it saw approximately 30 people a month. Since 2008, that number has steadily increased as area churches referred participants and provided mentors to the program. ACT now assists more than 100 people each month.

Among other services, the ministry offers one-on-one confidential mentoring with volunteer career counselors, resume writing, interview coaching and family counseling by a licensed Christian psychologist.

ACT Ministry meetings are the first and third Monday of each month, 6:30-8:30 p.m. in Room 113 at Asbury United Methodist Church on Highway 119. For more information about the ministry, send an email to actmindirector@aol.com or leave a voice message at 271-9934. To register for free services, visit asburyonline.org/ACT.