“All of the JFS staff who I interacted with were exceptionally kind, welcoming, and helpful. A few staff members approached me and asked if I was from LFS because they had heard we were coming, which was really nice. One staff member, April, went out of her way to help me out with three of our Swahili-speaking clients and got the interpreter to take them around.”

—Lutheran Family Services employer partner participant 

Last month, more than 150 Denver-area job seekers joined us for our third annual JFS Job Fair. This event continues to be a tremendous success based on the increased number of employer partners, community agencies, and job seekers who came together to create a special event. JFS hosted 21 employer partners, and 11 of these partners were new to hiring JFS talent.  

Our Employment Services department ran the job fair, and it truly was an agency-wide collaboration to bring together HR professionals, recruiters, job seekers, and community resource providers to ensure holistic success for the participants. A few of the resources JFS provided at the job fair included JFS housing and energy assistance support, vocational rehabilitation Q&A, as well as a digital navigator from the State of Colorado’s Digital Navigators program who enthusiastically supported participants with printing their resumes, looking up resources, and finding information online.  

The event welcomed the most diverse pool of candidates to date, with almost 50 percent of job seekers being newly resettled refugees through our Yana Vishnitsky Refugee Resettlement program. JFS case managers and employment specialists encouraged their clients to participate, so they could find their first jobs in Colorado, part-time employment to supplement their income, or opportunities to climb the career ladder.  

Furthermore, we invited clients from other resettlement agencies around the Denver metro area to attend, utilize JFS interpreters, and connect with all employer partners. 

JFS called on wonderful interpreters, some of whom are members of the communities we serve, to assist the new Americans in navigating the job fair while having meaningful interactions with employer partners. Over a dozen languages were offered, including Pashto, Arabic, Dari, Spanish, Russian, Turkish, Swahili, French, and Kinyarwanda, and the interpreters’ support led to several positive outcomes. 

Through communicative collaboration with the JFS Volunteer Services department, dedicated community members donated their time and energy to make our job fair successful, including transporting newly arrived refugees, assisting with interpretation, and welcoming/registering participants; their kindness and hard work made a truly positive impact. Through generous donations from JFS supporters, participants were also welcome to take pre-made and discreet hygiene kits to build confidence before speaking with employers. 

We were also thrilled to have our talented photographer, Caitlin Sherry, onsite to photograph 47 people and provide beautifully staged and edited headshots for those looking to elevate their LinkedIn and other professional profiles. 

Employment Services staff added a new component to the event by hosting an Application Assistance Day following the job fair to provide one-on-one support to more than 10 job seekers who needed extra time and assistance to complete online applications and advance their employment prospects. 

While it is too soon to know the exact number of interviews extended and accepted job offers, we do know that several people interviewed and started new jobs at Lakeside Amusement Park within one week of attending the job fair, and many others are in final rounds of interviews with other employer partners.  

We are incredibly grateful to Denver Economic Development & Opportunity for sponsoring our job fair and to our employer partners; thank you for your support and participation. We can help our job seekers advance their careers because of your dedication. The employer partners who joined us included: 

• City and County of Denver

• The Retail Odyssey Company

• Colorado Access

• Denver VOICE

• Bayaud Enterprises

• Allied Universal

• Entryway Talent

• Zynex Medical

• Denver Water

• Marzycks

• Maxx Impact Group (Great Hall Construction)

• Pasco

• Hyatt Regency Denver & Grand Hyatt Denver & Thompson Hotel

• Volunteers of America

• Urban Air Adventure Park

• YMCA Metropolitan Denver

• Duet Hospitality

• The Efshar Project

• Denver Public Schools

• Amazon

• A Place at Home - Denver Metro

• Southwest

• Lakeside Amusement Park

Thank you to all our staff who made our job fair a success, including: 

• Bi-lingual team members from Community Resources for Stability (CRS), Employment Services, and the Executive Management team, as well as volunteers who provided interpretation support to job seekers with a willing, open heart.  

• Members of the Career Services team who recruited job seekers and helped transport them to and from JFS. 

• The Marketing team for creating flyers, signage, and digital registration links/forms while promoting the event across multiple platforms. 

• Volunteer Services for coordinating interpreters and other individuals to support the job fair.  

• Team members from every program area within the Employment Services, as well as members from the CRS, IT, and the Facilities departments for helping plan each aspect of the job fair, including overseeing setup, takedown and event logistics, recruiting employer partners, making gift bags for participants, staffing resource tables, and providing a lovely bagel breakfast for our employer and community partners. 

JFS’s Employment Services Director Leah Wing said, “You may be asking how you can support JFS’s Employment Services department’s amazing work? Connect us with employers in your network! 

If you know of any hiring managers or recruiters seeking determined, skilled, and reliable employees, please connect them with our Business Development Specialist Kristen St. Peter at KStpeter@jewishfamilyservice.org or at 303.316.6682.