Spectrum donates $35,000 to Center for Family Life’s employment program

Staff

Spectrum donates $35,000 to Center for Family Life’s employment program
Spectrum presented a $35,000 check to the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park as part of its Spectrum Community Center Assist program. From left: Tom Morales, Spectrum's Senior Community Impact Manager; Julia Jean-Francois, Center for Family Life in Sunset Park Co-Executive Director; Carlos Cano, Center for Family Life in Sunset Park Chief Operating Officer; Maria Ferreira, Center for Family Life in Sunset Park Adult Employment Program Director; Emmanuel Omokaro, Spectrum's Community Impact Manager.

The Center for Family Life in Sunset Park has received a $35,000 donation from Spectrum for its Adult Employment Program, adding to earlier contributions through the company’s Community Center Assist initiative and bringing total support to $135,000 over the past three years.

The Adult Employment Program, located on the fourth floor of CFL’s building at 443 39th Street, offers resume help, interview preparation, job placement services, and English classes. Nearly 800 people have participated, with more than 160 securing jobs in the past year. Services are offered in English and Spanish, both online and in person.

Laura Cohen, a job developer and employment counselor with CFL, said the program’s focus is on long-term opportunities.

“Helping people connect to what they need is the main thing,” said Cohen, while staffing a table at a recent Sunset Park Library immigrant job fair. “For most people who come to the fourth floor where I work, it’s people who are looking for employment, and finding sustainable employment is key — not just something that they could do for a few weeks, but something hopefully that they could stay and grow into.”

CFL co-director Julia Jean-Francois said Spectrum’s support helps the program continue connecting residents with well-paying jobs that can strengthen their families and their community.

Spectrum’s Community Center Assist program, launched in 2021, provides grants and equipment to community centers across the country. In Sunset Park, the company has also donated laptops, internet service, and classroom renovations to CFL.

Learn more about CFL’s Adult Employment Program here.