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It’s Here!: La Feria Job Fair on Oct. 19th
- Updated: October 13, 2017
Local job seekers meet with local employers at last year’s job fair held at First United Methodist Church and now in its fourth year. Photo: Bill Keltner/LFN
Little church throws giant event to connect job seekers with employers
Special to La Feria News
LA FERIA – On Thursday, Oct. 19, a little church will throw a giant event in La Feria to connect local job seekers with employers. The 4th Annual La Feria Job Fair takes place Oct. 19 from 1-5 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of La Feria.
Whether it is for full-time, part-time or seasonal work, anyone looking for work can make contact with at least 20 area employers at the event. Many of the employers will conduct on-site interviews. Plus, Workforce Solutions Cameron provides Internet-ready computers at the job fair so applicants can immediately fill out and submit their applications online.
The church has successfully thrown this event for the past three years, with approximately 350 people in attendance. For one afternoon, the small church transforms into a huge employment agency. The La Feria Job Fair is held once a year on the third Thursday of October.
“Each year we have at least 20 employers participate, and hundreds of people continue to turn out,” said job fair coordinator Andi Atkinson. “Many people find work through the job fair, so we’ll continue to hold it as long as there’s a need.”
To Atkinson’s knowledge, it is the only job fair coordinated by a church. She thought of the idea back in August 2014 at an outreach meeting at her church.
“Many people in our community — and in the Valley — live at or below the poverty line, but they can rise above it if they can find good, steady jobs. That’s when we decided to throw a job fair,” she said. “We didn’t waste any time, either. We threw the job fair just seven weeks later because most people need extra money for the holidays.”
A Border Patrol recruiter helps an applicant fill out his paperwork online. Photo: Special to LFN
Employers who have committed to the job fair include: Advanced Call Center Technologies; BCFS Health & Human Services; Bert Ogden Toyota; Brownsville Independent School District; Charlie Clark Nissan; Cintas Corp.; DISH Network; International Educational Services; Jackson Hewitt; JC Wing Company; JCPenney & InStyle Salon; La Feria Independent School District; Liberty Tax Service; Region One Education Services Center; Spectrum; Texas Department of Criminal Justice; Texas Department of Family & Protective Services; Texas Department of Public Safety; U.S. Border Patrol; and U.S. Customs & Border Protection.
The Methodist church is located at 331 Main St. It sits next to Tiny Town park and across from the La Feria public library.
Job seekers who do not have transportation to La Feria can ride Valley Metro for free. Riders should call Valley Metro at 1-800-574-8322 for the route and schedule to La Feria.
The fair is being sponsored by First United Methodist Church of La Feria and Workforce Solutions Cameron.
For more information on the 4th Annual La Feria Job Fair, call (956) 454-1610 or email [email protected].
