GLENDALE, AZ — Before most of Glendale wakes up, two vans are already loaded, packed with breakfast, lunch, water, and electrolytes. Inside are up to twenty people ready to work. For Mia Jennings, that early morning routine has become something she counts on.
"This program has enabled me to do not just that but a lot more," Jennings said.
Jennings recently got out of prison. Before that, she was homeless. Today, she and her sister Roberta Serrano show up together every day through Glendale Works. This program partners with Phoenix Rescue Mission to connect homeless individuals with paid work cleaning city parks and the Glendale landfill.
More Than a Paycheck
For five-and-a-half hours of work, participants earn $76, above minimum wage. But Benjamin Herrera, a reach out coordinator for Phoenix Rescue Mission, says the money is only part of what the program offers.
"We offer many opportunities in different ways: housing, clothing, food, work resumes," Herrera said. "We do IDs, Social Security cards, birth certificates, whatever they need. We try to break barriers for them and to propel them out of what they're in to a better place in their life."
That includes physically accompanying participants to government offices and paying for documents out of pocket, because for someone without a fixed address, even getting a state ID can feel impossible.
For Jennings, the paycheck has meant something immediate and tangible.
"Having that little bit of money allows us to pay rent," she said. "We live in a halfway house, so we're transitioning from an incarcerated life back to a normal life. You don't realize what things are possible for you until you have just a little bit of money in your pocket."
Real Results for Glendale
The program launched in 2018 and has delivered measurable results, both for participants and for the city itself.
Since its launch, 112 people have been placed back into housing. Last year alone, participants logged close to 19,000 working hours for the City of Glendale and completed 401 cleanup projects.
Herrera says the work participants do at the landfill also helps the city avoid fines, completing in a few hours what would otherwise take city workers two days.
"It works for the city, it works for the clients we have, and it works for Phoenix Rescue Mission's main mission, and that's to change people's lives," Herrera said.
A Foundation Built on Sobriety and Community
For Jennings, the program's faith-based foundation has been central to her progress.
"Sobriety is key," she said. "Once you can get that foundation, and especially having a foundation of God in your life, doors will start to open up for you."
She describes watching fellow participants slowly shift their patterns of behavior and feeling motivated to help others reach the same turning point she has.
"Every day is motivating," Jennings said. "They wanna see you succeed. They wanna see you do well."
How You Can Help
Herrera says the program is actively looking for small business owners willing to hire Glendale Works graduates.
"It's hard for somebody who's been out of the workforce so many years to get a good interview or a chance at a good job," he said. "If there's anybody who will offer these individuals who do this program successfully job opportunities, that'd be much appreciated."
The program is also open to community volunteers and donors who want to help it grow.
"With more community involvement, it would help us so much to grow this program and to end homelessness quicker in the surrounding areas," Herrera said.
For more information about Glendale Works or Phoenix Rescue Mission, click here.
