Pelosi Remarks at Roundtable on Recovery Act Funding for Jobs in San Francisco
San Francisco - Speaker Nancy Pelosi hosted a roundtable discussion at the Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) of San Francisco this morning. JVS is a non-profit organization that administers workforce job training programs in San Francisco. The roundtable focused on initiatives funded by the Recovery Act and its impact on job creation in the Bay Area. Below are the Speaker's opening remarks as prepared for delivery:
"For nearly four decades, the work of the Jewish Vocational Service has been guided by two core Jewish values: ‘tikkun olam,' repairing the world; and ‘tzedakah,' pursuing justice through charity and good works.
"At the beginning, JVS put these values into practice by helping American Jewish young adults find jobs. Over time, its mission expanded, opening the doors of opportunity to refugees from the former Soviet Union.
"In recent years, JVS has extended these principles to all San Franciscans, providing job training, skills, and placement, and living up to the highest level of charity in Jewish life - enabling people to stand on their own two feet.
"In every action, JVS abides not only by Jewish values; it upholds a deeply American notion - and the organization's motto: ‘Work transforms lives.' We see this commitment in your partnership with UCSF and the Community Outreach Internship Program, and in your efforts to train workers for careers in business, health care, and the green economy.
"Through these initiatives, students gain basic jobs skills, vocational training, and internships. They get help writing cover letters and resumes, and the tools to be self-sufficient for the long term.
"In the process, the work they do transforms their lives - the lives of people such as:
• Deirdre O'Connor, a single mother hoping to find a job to support her family, who now interns at UCSF;
• Damond Wilson, facing a bleak job market and gaps in his resume, who is now strengthening his skills as an intern at UCSF;
• Flor Guevara, a laid-off IT worker, who joined JVS' EMT training to learn new skills and start a new career
• Clifton Reeves, a laid-off business management professional who came to JVS to rework his resume and search for something new; or
"Like so many, these individuals were willing to put in a day's work to get by, but just needed a break to set their careers on-track. And, thanks to JVS and UCSF, they are getting a fresh start.
"This initiative is a prime example of how the Recovery Act is paying dividends for workers, families, and businesses in San Francisco and across the country:
• JVS - $1.3 million in Workforce Investment Act funds in the Recovery Act for its health care academy, job training assistance services, and green job corps program
• TANF-Emergency Contingency Fund - Funding the city's Jobs Now effort, which has already put more than 3,000 San Franciscans back to work
- COIP - part of Jobs Now - is using funds to train workers, provide internships, and build resumes
- California - received more than $550 million, expected to create 35,000 jobs by the end of September
• Just last week, the House extended TANF-ECF as part of the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act, with another $2.5 billion for next year.
"This progress is part of a larger story of Recovery Act success nationwide. This morning, we found out that our economy added 431,000 jobs in May and our unemployment rate fell. We added jobs in six of the last seven months. Private sector jobs are up nearly half-a-million jobs this year, in contrast to Bush Administration record of losing more than 670,000 private jobs in eight years. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Recovery Act created up to 2.8 million jobs through the first quarter, and as many as 3.7 million jobs by September.
"In Congress, creating jobs for the American people remains our top priority. And we know that our effort begins at places such as JVS - and in our ability to hold true to the motto: ‘Work transforms lives.'"