With a Mid-Market renaissance unfolding just outside its front doors, Hospitality House is expanding its efforts to get local community members hired. We sat down with Executive Director Jackie Jenks to learn more about the organization’s employment program and the influx of job opportunities it's hoping to fill.

Hospitality House formed in 1967—The Summer of Love—as a drop-in center for the neighborhood’s growing population of LGBT youth. With the community’s changing demographics, the organization closed its youth services in 1999 to focus exclusively on the needs of the community’s adults. Employment services have been offered within its programs for more than 20 years, but the quickly evolving Mid-Market landscape has prompted the organization to build a dedicated employment program.

(Photo: Hospitality House)

“We’ve seen a lot of opportunity in Mid-Market with businesses —technology and restaurants—coming in,” Jenks said. “We need local hires. Lots of jobs are created for the outside community, but San Francisco residents need jobs."

"If that’s our message, we need to provide those candidates,” she explained.

With the program’s expansion, Hospitality House aims to be a hub for both residents and employers. The organization recently took a leadership role within the Homeless Employment Collaborative (HEC), a collective of nine organizations that provide employment and training resources to San Francisco’s homeless residents.

So far, it has been busy, she said. As nonprofit and service industry workers are priced out of the city, the pool of candidates has been diminished. The result: More job opportunities for people living in nonprofit housing.

“It’s disappointing to see people be displaced, but we have to respond,” Jenks said. Located in the basement of 146 Leavenworth Street, Hospitality House’s Employment Resource Center provides local job hunters with technology to support their job search, including computers, copiers, fax machines and phones. They can drop-in to use the resources on their own or make an appointment with one of two case managers to receive additional support. 

(Photo: Brittany Hopkins / Hoodline)

Hospitality House can also provide other tools community members need to work, such as interview clothes or work boots. With jobs available now, Jenks said they are working quickly to pre-screen candidates and link them to jobs.

While Jenks and the new program director, Rob Arbo, have seen a lot of movement in the past month, she’s not certain if local community members are as optimistic. “Some have bigger barriers, like incarceration, trouble passing background checks or substance abuse,” said said. “Time will tell.”

Drop-in hours for the Employment Resource Center are 2pm-4:30pm Mondays, and 1:30pm-4:30pm Tuesdays through Fridays. Employers looking to hire from the local community are encouraged contact Rob Arbo at (415) 749-2192. Or, if you’re eager to share your job hunting prowess with community members, volunteer opportunities may be available in the future, so keep an eye on Hospitality House’s website.