Thanks to funding from the Strauss Scholarship, PEP was able to hire our first ever student Leadership Team consisting of four student positions this semester! One challenge this semester was that delays in construction of the new Hope for Home Services Center caused PEP drop-in to be at the Armory (local homeless shelter) and Pomona Valley Christian Center until December

when the Hope for Home opened its doors and drop-ins were moved there. We are very excited to be providing PEP in this client-centered space which has double the Armory’s capacity! A major highlight of this semester is that PEP volunteers were able to apply to more jobs than in previous semesters.

We will begin the spring semester by conducting a community assessment survey. This survey will evaluate what additional services and/or service modifications Hope for Home shelter residents feel would most benefit them. Survey results will be used to modify PEP’s existing employment-related services. Results will also be given to the shelter staff and Pomona city government to inform phase two of the Hope for Home construction process. Other spring semester priorities include: improving the consistency of volunteer-client communication, incorporating iPads to facilitate tech-related learning, and increasing the number of client interviews and job offers by building relationships with local employers. A big thank you to our volunteers for a making PEP’s third semester a great one!