Montezuma County Social Services has begun the Employment First initiative, a state and federal program that seeks to connect welfare recipients with jobs and job training.
Under the program, able-bodied adults without children who are on food stamps have 90 days to show that they are looking for jobs, getting job training, actively seeking education or certificates or volunteering at a work site.
It they do not show the effort, they risk possible benefit cuts from the food stamp program, known as Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, said county social services director Gina Montoya.
So far, participation from clients has been low, she said.
Since Oct. 1, 78 invitations have been sent to people who meet the criteria for appointments with an Employment First representative to discuss skill assessments, job opportunities and training. Of those, only nine came in for their appointments, Montoya said.
“We will keep trying to bring these folks in so we can get them up to speed on skills in the hopes they can obtain jobs,” she said.
The county is partnering with other agencies, such as the Work Force Center and Unlimited Learning Center to connect people with available jobs and training in various trades.
Montezuma County Senior Services will host classes and job training as part of the program, Montoya said.
The state is funding staff time for the Employment First initiative. Exemptions include people with disabilities, the homeless, tribal members and people over 49 years of age. Employment First reaches about 30,000 Coloradans each year.
Other county newsThe county public transportation department plans to seek state grants to study the feasibility of having a fixed-stop bus route in the county and Cortez. Currently, the MoCo bus system offers rides by appointment only. A fixed route would include bus stops and a regular schedule.Montezuma County Social Services plans to sign up for the Hotline Crisis Center services, a 24-hour call center that takes reports and referrals of child abuse and neglect. Most other Colorado counties use the service, said Montoya, and report that it is effective. The program costs $11,000 per year, and the state covers 80% of the costs, she said.The service includes staff who have the additional training needed to ask the appropriate questions and gather necessary data needed for child abuse casework. Currently, child and neglect case emergencies are routed to dispatch.
The Montezuma County Board of Commissioners approved a high-impact permit for a new Dollar General Store planned for a parcel at the southwest corner of County Road G and U.S. 160/491. The driveway entrance would be off Road G, with a parking lot for 30 vehicles. Construction is expected to begin in 2020, officials said, and the store will open in the summer or fall. The store will create four to six jobs.Dollar General has 15,597 retail locations in 44 states. It offers food, snacks, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, family apparel, housewares, seasonal items, paper products and more. The stores also stock an assortment of packaged foods, including refrigerated and frozen foods. Dollar General is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. It has been rapidly expanding with 900 new stores in 2018 and a plan to open 975 others this year, according to corporate reports.
Community Connections presented Montezuma County with the 2019 Partner of the Year award for their efforts to bring awareness and explore solutions to social service needs and challenges. “The county has worked with us on shared projects, helps develop plans of support for the people we both serve, maintains open communication lines, responds to urgent needs and contributes financial resources to our success,” said Tara Kiene, CEO of Community Connections.