By Chris Valley

His voice was firm as he spoke: “I’ve parachuted out of planes, I’ve been shot at, but for the first time I’m scared. I’ve never been in this situation before.”

He was talking with members of the Job Club at St. Jude’s Church in Sandy Springs. Like many of the more than fifty people that night at St. Jude’s school cafeteria, he is unemployed.

The Job Club was organized just over two months ago by Jim Knocke and Frank Duffy of St. Jude’s parish, with the support and assistance of their pastor Father Richard Morrow. The purpose is to help one another in seeking unemployment.

Jim Knocke had recently quit his job because he did not want to be on the road every week. In his search for a new job, he went to a personnel placement agency. This proved to be a waste of both money and time. Out of this unpleasant experience, he developed the idea of a job club.

Only four people attended the first meeting at St. Jude’s. There are now over 100 people who have been involved in some way with the club. The group meets in the school cafeteria twice a month on a Monday night from 7:30 to 9:30. Smaller groups gather in participants’ homes to work on specific areas of common interest.

A great deal of attention is given to the development of resumes. “A resume won’t get you the job, but it will get you an interview, which can get you the job,” says Frank Duffy.

A financial planner, Duffy leads one of the small groups which reviews and critiques resumes. After 22 years with one firm, Duffy broke away. “Sure you have moments of saying ‘What am I going to do?’ But the thing you have to keep sight of is your God-given human dignity. That will help you get through this.”

The structure of the meeting varies according to the number participating and the topic planned for discussion. Typically, there is a talk given by someone in personnel recruitment, personnel management or career development. This is followed by a general discussion. Afterwards, the participants break into smaller groups according to their professional interests--for example, sales, engineering or other interests.

The Job Club has no membership dues. All speakers are volunteering their time and interest. It is a mutual help program in which participants share their own experiences and job information with one another.

Initially participants came from among parishioners of St. Jude’s Church and All Saints Church. However, participation is not limited to these two parishes, nor to Catholics only. The Job Club is open to anyone. Participants range in age from late teens to early sixties.

St. Jude’s Church provides the meeting place and publicity for the club. Attendance now ranges from 35 to 50. Topics include resume writing, interviewing, and now to make employment contacts. In-depth assistance is also provided through referral to the counseling and career center of DeKalb Community College, North Campus.

The most important thing offered by the Job Club is the moral support given by participants to one another. “Basically, when you come to one of our meetings you’re exposed to other people in the same boat who’ve found ways to get through it,” says Jim Knocke. “It’s all a sharing of survival tactics and a sharing of hope together.”

One need of the Job Club is for “sponsors.” A sponsor is someone who may be either employed or unemployed and who is willing to work on a one-to-one basis with individuals to provide whatever assistance is necessary. This assistance might include oral support, job leads, introduction to potential employers, constructive criticism of resumes, or helping to polish interview techniques.

Marie Gale is one such sponsor. A real estate agent, she and her husband moved to Atlanta four years ago. Soon after, her husband lost his job. After a 20-year absence from the job market, he began his search for a new position.

“I wish there would have been s support group like this when we needed it. Since I’ve been through this, I’m glad to just share our experiences with others,” says Mrs. Gale. “With more and more people becoming unemployed, the need for this kind of group is growing.”