Job Fair Connects Prospective Employers with Job Seekers

Updated: November 25, 2016

Major Valley companies outline careers paths in their companies. Photos: Bill Keltner/LFN

United Methodists hold annual event

Bill Keltner

The door to job opportunities opened for upwards of 350 local job seekers during the recent Job Fair sponsored by the United Methodist Church of La Feria. This is the third time the church has hosted the event and “we were very pleased with the turnout and the local support” according to Andi Atkinson, Event Coordinator.

The well-supported fair turned the church into a temporary employment agency of sorts, opening the church sanctuary and classrooms into consultation offices that connected prospective employers with qualified job seekers. It gave the people of Cameron County an opportunity to see what is available, and help them find a job according to Atkinson.

This was the first job fair for Pastor Bill Davis. He said, “The turnout was fantastic, and the event keeps getting bigger every year with more job seekers and a wider range of top-rated, potential employers participating. The fair presents an opportunity for persons seeking a new job, a better job or a career change.” He added: “Additionally, we offer spiritual counseling for anyone requesting it.”

Fair coordinator Andi Atkinson and Pastor Bill Davis are pleased with the response to the job fair.

Coordinator Atkinson said the companies attending expressed appreciation for the church-sponsored fair. “The companies said they had met with good, qualified candidates and reported lots of “good hires.”

Liz Hinojosa of H.E.B describes opportunities with her company

Atkinson listed the following employers present for the Job Fair: Advanced Call Center (ACT), Bebe, Bee First Primary Home Care, Bert Ogden Toyota, DISH, H.E.B., Holiday Wine and Liquor, Jackson-Hewitt, The Medical Team, Ross Dress for Less, U.S. Small Business administration LRGVDO, Whataburger, Harlingen Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Veterans Administration, Job Corps, La Feria Independent School District, IDEA Public Schools, MET, National Farmworkers Jobs Program, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, Buffalo Wild Wings, Rio Grande State Center, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and the U.S.Army.

Coordinator Atkinson thanked all the employers who participated, and said the church plans to make the Job Fair an annual event.