Nonprofit organization plans job fair for Tuesday

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GREENFIELD — Print your resume and mark your calendar. Hancock County job-seekers and prospective employers will come together for a job fair Tuesday.

The first hour of the fair, hosted at Brandywine Community Church, 1551 E. New Road in Greenfield, opens at 9:30 a.m. and is reserved for veterans. It opens to the public at 10:30 a.m. and runs until 1:30 p.m.

It’s the second year Love in the Name of Christ, a faith-based nonprofit, has hosted the job fair for county residents searching for work. This year, more than 35 employers, most of which are not faith-related — will be on site, some ready to give interviews on the spot, said Karla Whisenand, director of the nonprofit.

The needs of area companies vary, with openings posted for entry-level positions as well as jobs in management. Experience requirements also run the gamut, organizers say, with some positions requiring specialized certifications and others being open to anyone with a high school degree.

The openings are as diverse as organizers hope job-seekers will be: available positions include a switchboard operator, registered nurse, group exercise leader and radiologist, for example.

Love INC — a clearinghouse connecting those in need to area resources — wants to create one-stop shopping, hoping job-seekers might have better luck finding a position, Whisenand said.

Employers can choose to conduct brief on-site interviews, talking with visitors to determine what positions they might qualify for, offer applications for them to fill out and accept resumes, said Whisenand.

She recommends those attending dress professionally and come with plenty of resumes to pass out.

Whisenand hopes the fair appeals to residents who have been out of work for a substantial amount of time and become discouraged by the search process, or those with multiple part-time jobs who are looking for full-time work.

“To have all of these employers in one space at the same time, that’s the key,” she said.

Even though the county’s unemployment rate has dropped 3.2 percent, below the 3.8 state average, there are still people who need jobs or who remain underemployed, she said.

Love INC already offers job skills workshops, which pair job-seekers with mentors who teach them various skills, including resume-building and interviewing skills.

The fair is another way to help those same folks; many of the people who call Love INC for help are looking for work but say it’s hard for them to find transportation to drop off resumes or fill out applications around town, Whisenand said.

“There are so many opportunities in Greenfield to work,” she said. “There will be something for everybody … There will be all kinds of opportunities in one central location.”

Hancock Regional Hospital will have job recruiters at the fair to help find employees to fill 27 positions, said Angie Bodell, recruiter at Hancock Regional Hospital.

The hospital has open positions for a nurse supervisor, clerk, phlebotomist and more.

Throughout the year, the hospital works with Love INC to find applicants who are a good fit for open positions. The job fair gives them a chance to meet face to face with applicants.

“The type of candidates that we will be looking for are candidates that share our patients-first initiative and our core values…,” she wrote in an email to the Daily Reporter. “As long as these are in place, the candidate with the skills, abilities and required credentials to do the job will stand out to us as a great fit.”

Residents who are unable to attend the job fair can search job postings on the organization’s website, she said.

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Love in the Name of Christ hosts a job fair Tuesday, and about 35 employers will be on site.

Participating employers include:

Express Employment

Elwood Staffing

First Call Staffing

Greenfield Daily Reporter

Randstad Staffing

Hancock Regional Hospital

Honda

Indiana Automotive Fasteners

Formica

Bastian

Keihin

Yamaha

Tsuda

Stanley Black & Decker

Freedom Senior Services

Woodland Terrace

Springhurst

Innovate Pharmacy

CGS Services

Advance Auto Parts

Golden Living Centers

Hampton Inn

Developmental Service Alternatives

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Love in the Name of Christ is hosting a job fair Tuesday to bring together job-seekers and employers at Brandywine Community Church, 1551 E. New Road, Greenfield.

From 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., the event will be open to only veterans. From 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the event is open to the public.

Fore more information, call Love INC at 317-468-6300.

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