Housing Authority of the City of Orange Draws Eager Job Seekers at Job Fair

ORANGE, NJ – Nearly 100 job seekers met with representatives from major corporations Tuesday, June 12, at a Job Fair, hosted by the Housing Authority of the City of Orange (HACO), at the Walter G. Alexander Community Center on Wilson Place.

Major employers such as FEDEx, UPS, Newark Liberty International Airport, the NJ Department of Corrections, and the NJ Department of Children & Families were present to discuss job opportunities with applicants from Orange and the surrounding area. In addition, the Fair offered a workshop in Financial Literacy from the New Community Corporation and information on Homeownership from M & T Bank. Attendees also had the opportunity to register to vote.

“As good neighbors, the Housing Authority of the City of Orange works together with the members of Orange leadership to build strong, healthy communities for all the residents of the city, and the Job Fair is one example of that effort,” said Dr. Walter McNeil, HACO’s Executive Director. “By hosting the Job Fair, the HACO sought to create jobs by joining potential employees and employers in a mutually beneficial relationship because we believe healthy families with stable incomes make a community strong. It is so important that we use our resources to support this goal.”

Added Ernest Williams, chair of the HACO Board of Commissioners, “The Housing Authority of the City of Orange considers itself to be a vital component to the city’s continued growth as a community, and events like the Job Fair are steps in that direction. The Housing Authority believes in being a good neighbor to all the city’s residents, and we will continue to contribute to the economic health of our community.”

To further that end, Susan Moore, Family Self Sufficiency Coordinator at HACO, and Peggy Wade, Acting Program Director, Housing Assistance and Housing Choice Voucher, will follow up to ensure each applicant is placed.

The support from local businesses and organizations helped in large part to make the Job Fair successful. Orange Village Supermarkets (Shop-Rite), Sandwiches Unlimited, Save-a-Lot, and two locations of Dunkin’ Donuts, 306 Main Street in Orange and 24 South Harrison in East Orange, donated supplies. Salvation Army offered free child care.

“It was gratifying to see the excitement of both the job seekers and the employers,” said Moore. “The ultimate object of the Job Fair is to build strong families that can contribute to making our communities productive and economically strong. The Job Fair was a big step forward toward making our neighborhoods a better place to live.”

About the Orange Housing Authority

The City of Orange Housing Authority works to transform the City of Orange by providing safe, livable and affordable housing that promotes the development of communities. At the Orange Housing Authority, participants are not statistics, they are neighbors. The agency knows the community and tailors programs to better serve the participant’s needs. Whether it is a search for housing, assistance with foreclosure or neighborhood development, the Orange Housing Authority stands ready to offer its services to all residents.