I would like to express my gratitude to all of our job seekers for allowing me to travel with you during difficult times in your career and life journeys. It has been an honor and a privilege to be with, and trusted by you. I also want to thank all of our volunteer coaches and guest speakers, counseling and public health interns, grantors, mentors, and supporters over the years. Without all of you, the Baltimore Job Hunters Support Group would not have been possible. Your kindness, generosity, guidance, and expertise have made all the difference and we can’t possibly thank you enough for all that our volunteers and supporters have done. I have learned so much from each and every one of you. You will forever be my fellow job seekers, friends, colleagues, and mentors.
Since 2011 the Baltimore Job Hunters Support Group has held community support at the center of its mission. While we have had to adapt to meet the challenges of the past two COVID-19 years, we’re proud to have brought people together digitally, to cultivate skills, knowledge, and new connections. We have worked hard to champion the needs of older long term unemployed workers in the Greater Baltimore area. During the past 10+ years, we have touched the lives of 1,000+ people.
As a result of changing personal circumstances, financial constraints, and after considerable thought, I must disband BJHSG in December 2022. This was a very painful and heartbreaking decision to make, but one that was necessary. Please know that we have considered every option to create sustainability for BJHSG. We have met and worked with nonprofits consultants, grantors, foundations, business advisors, and partner organizations in Baltimore and around the country. I have personally completed more than 10 incubators/accelerators, hackathons, pitch competitions, and fellowship programs. A great deal of exploration has been conducted over the past 8 years “behind the scenes.”
The ending of our time together has allowed me to reflect on the time that we have had–laughing, talking, eating, welcoming guests, finding opportunities for ourselves and fellow members, speed networking, performing a play, being in a PBS documentary, celebrating our tenth anniversary and so much more. We’ve heard time and again that it’s empathy and support that have made BJHSG unique, which was the main goal of the founders of BJHSG, Rev. Carol Cook, Nancy Jeannechild, Lynn Hubin, and Lisa Smith. I am so glad that we could be a source of “emotional support with practical advice” as Rev. Carol was fond of saying. We are very proud of that legacy. I want to thank you for your patience and good spirit throughout the ups and downs of our journey together.
What’s Next?
Stay with Us During Fall 2022!
I know it’s painful to say goodbye, but please continue to join us for meetings. BJHSG meetings will continue virtually through 12/6/2022. Our goal is to position you the best we can for your 2023 job search. Please attend as many sessions this Fall as you can. We have an amazing lineup of speakers (see below) and will provide you as many resources as we can.
Ask a Coach Q&A Week of December 5th
We will close our time together on Monday 12/5 and Tuesday 12/6 with a “Ask the Career Coach” Q&A Sessions. These events are still under development, but we will invite life and career coaches from the Maryland Career Counseling Association, the MidAtlantic Career Development Association, the Institute for Life Coaching Training, Maryland Career One-Stops, and other workforce development agencies to answer your questions and offer one free session to our members. Attendees of these events will be eligible for one free coaching session from participating coaches, sliding scale coaching sessions, and a gift from BJHSG.
Our Social Media and LifeCareerPivoteers Inc
LifeCareerPivoteers Inc will remain a nonprofit under development for the time being, with a website that includes pages for the Maryland Healthy Workplace Task Force, TEAMWORKS, and BJHSG resources. Our social media sites (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) will shut down at the end of December. We are in the process of transferring electronic accounts, BJHSG materials, and email addresses to www.lifecareerpivoteers.org, which will be a resource site for job seekers. We will send information on how to access these materials in early December, as well as information on other local job clubs and other resources that we hope our members will begin or continue to access. Please be patient as we navigate the electronic transition.
And…
I appreciate being a small part of your job search lives throughout the years and will take the memories of all that I have experienced with me into the next chapter of my career, which will include my private therapy practice, continued advocacy for job seekers and those bullied at work, and doctoral research on work-related topics. You will always have a special place in my heart. As always, I hope you will continue to grow, learn, explore, and network.
Sincerely,
Janet Glover-Kerkvliet
janglovkerk@gmail.com
kerkcounseling@gmail.com
info@lifecareerpivoteers.org
