Center for Women and Families holding job fair as demand for services increases

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville nonprofit is hosting a job fair in hopes of strengthening services as more people are impacted by domestic violence around Kentuckiana.

The Center for Women and Families provides support for people and families impacted by intimate partner violence and sexual assault in nine counties around Kentuckiana. The organization is hosting a two-day job fair on Wednesday and Thursday at its location in Old Louisville at 927 South Second Street.

The need for services is growing. Last year, the number of reported domestic violence-related homicides was 20, more than 2020 and 2021 combined.

"Sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking is on the rise in this state," said Vernessa Gates, vice president of human resources. "In order for us to be able to service people, the best service we can give, we need to have people to do it."

Last year, the center received 83,144 crisis calls and sheltered 290 adults and 167 children. The nonprofit also responded to 770 hospital runs, provided legal response-court advocacy 556 times and more than 1,250 therapeutic sessions.

"It affects everybody," said Jessica Toby, HR manager at The Center for Women and Families. "It's a public health crisis. It's a social justice issue. We can have the people impacted directly, but they'll have friends and family members and church members and neighbors who are around them who can be witness to their pain."

The job fair will be held from noon to 7 p.m. on both days and will offer a variety of positions including call center advocates, shelter advocates who assist clients and children, therapists, entry- and management-level administrative position.

Gates said it's critical for the center to have proper staffing to ensure people aren't working more than they should.

"We need to make sure that we do have proper staffing and qualified people who can do the job and people who want to do the job because it's not easy," Gates said. "It's not easy, it's a tough position. People say 'I like to do things that make me feel good' because they're helping people. It's not a volunteer job, it's a real hard job with real work going on every day."

The organization focuses on reducing risk factors by providing supportive services, community education and partners with other Louisville-area organizations.

"We don't have the laws in place that will provide consequences to those people who are perpetrators," Gates said. "It is a cycle, and that's part of our mission, to disrupt the cycle."

The Center for Women and Families is hoping to hire around 30 people for available positions. The organization offers six weeks of paid time off, which accrues at the start of employment, full medical, dental and vision for employees and their dependents, along with kitchen team that makes fresh food daily.

To learn more about The Center for Women and Families, click here. The Center for Women and Families' emergency hotline is 1-844-237-2331. The 24-hour hotline provides crisis response, emergency shelter, sexual assault services and more.