Six years ago, around the time Jack was retiring, he met Chrysalis CEO & President Mark Loranger. He became interested in volunteering after getting to know Mark but notes that it was his wife who ultimately convinced him. She reminded him how his career in Human Resources made him a fitting candidate for guiding Chrysalis clients through the job search process.
“She also said when I retired that she had one rule: I had to get out of the house once a day,” he laughs. “So I try to do that. Whether I’m exercising, volunteering, or taking classes, I get out at least once a day.”
When Jack began volunteering, he initially led orientations at Chrysalis Santa Monica. Now, six years later, he also teaches two job-readiness classes: Soft Skills and Workplace Success.
As one of the first individuals with whom many new Chrysalis clients interact, Jack knows facilitating orientation is an important role. The clients have done the work to begin the program, and for Jack, it is his job to get them excited about the road ahead.
“I have to make that good first impression. They’ve just walked in, it’s 8 in the morning, everyone is kind of drowsy… And it’s my opportunity to really show them what we do here and how much we can help them. I don’t think I’ll ever give up orientation.”
One of his favorite parts of volunteering is seeing the transformation clients go through from the time they first sit down in orientation to when they ring the bell after obtaining a job. There’s one client, in particular, who he recalls speaking to after class one day. The client had recently gotten out of prison after being incarcerated for nearly two decades and was concerned he wouldn’t be able to find employment due to his background. Jack ultimately convinced the client to give the program a try, telling him about the community of support and resources he would have available to him.
“About two months later he was ringing the bell and he was so happy. Seeing that defeated look in the beginning and then seeing what the program can do. A few months later he’s ringing the bell and the proudest guy in the world… It was just great.”
While Jack has a background in HR, he didn’t have as much experience teaching before beginning to volunteer at Chrysalis. At times, he has found it difficult to manage an audience with a diverse set of needs, personalities, and attitudes. But, over the years, he has become particularly skilled in finding ways to help everyone feel enthusiastic and comfortable opening up and participating.
He points out that it doesn’t always take a few months for him to see that shift in confidence though; he sees it every time he leads an orientation. Over the course of just 30 minutes, individuals who seemed unsure of the program and their ability to find a job when they first sat down, are soon looking forward to the next steps.
“Just seeing that I’m a little part of that makes me feel like I did good. This is something I look forward to every week.”
Our Volunteer & Program team is currently working to engage volunteers to provide virtual services to clients while our centers and locations are temporarily closed in observance of the “safer-at-home” order. We are also accepting applications and providing orientation to volunteers ready to help with in-person services once our centers re-open.