Refill Café offers opportunities, hope to young adults in metro area

(Jackson, Miss.) – Young adults in the metro area can be filled with hope for a bright future, thanks to a program funded in part through a grant provided by the Mississippi Department of Human Services. The Refill Jackson Initiative, or Refill Café, provides SNAP recipients residing in Hinds, Rankin, and Madison counties who have found themselves without employment a pathway to a career and the skills to succeed in their chosen profession.

Part of the SNAP Employment & Training Program, Skills2Work, sponsored by MDHS, the mission of the Refill Café is to empower young adults ages 18 to 24 so that they are more confident, better equipped and motivated to enter, navigate and thrive in the workforce.

Skills2Work was designed to assist eligible Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) E&T recipients by providing potential tuition assistance and other support services for Adult Basic Education, Career/Technical pathways and/or Workforce Skills Training programs.

“The mission of the Mississippi Department of Human Services is to provide Mississippians, young and old, tangible help today so they may have lasting hope for tomorrow,” said MDHS Executive Director Robert G. “Bob” Anderson. “This program provided by Refill Café gives young adults the opportunity to build a foundation for a fulfilling, self-sufficient life.”

Refill Cafe offers Education/Vocational training and work experience through a holistic approach addressing immediate barriers to employment and provides a year-long commitment to SNAP E&T participants in Hinds, Rankin and Madison counties through 8 weeks of classroom instruction and work experience.

Upon completion of this program, students have the option of pursuing:

· A paid, 480-hour internship

· Linkages to potential employers and/or

· Opportunities for further education

Refill offers Job Retention services for up to 90 days after completion of their SNAP E&T component to provide continued access to staff support and services when employed.

“The Refill Jackson Initiative seeks to support individuals where they are—addressing the immediate barriers to employment in the context of their lives,” said Jackson Restaurateur Jeff Good, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Refill Jackson Initiative. “Our program recognizes that in order to begin planning for a manageable future, the immediate needs of an individual must first be identified, attended to and barriers to success removed.”

In addition to training and experience, Refill Cafe will provide participants with allowable support service assistance to include, but not limited to, transportation, referrals to partner organizations as needed, and uniforms.

For more information on the Refill Jackson Initiative and Refill Café contact Betsy Smith at 769-257-5697, 601-540-7231  or betsy@refilljackson.org.

To learn more about the Skills2Work (E&T) program and apply through MDHS, go to https://www.mdhs.ms.gov/workforce-development/.