Mar 6, 2009 4:30 pm US/Eastern
Your Money Team: Support Groups For Unemployed
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
At career link on Spring Garden Street, experts are helping at least 2,500 job hunting Philadelphians every month now. That's way up from their average of 1,200 a month last year.
Despite the constant activity there, most of their clients stay unemployed for at least eight months.
Faith Whitehead runs a support group from The Philadelphia Unemployment Project, where the unemployed can help each other. She advises them on coping with anxiety.
"Beating up on yourself, that's the worse thing you can do," says Faith.
She goes on to explain why meeting in a group is so helpful, "To take off some of the stress, and know that they're not alone and know that they're not the only ones out there looking for a job."
Gregory Wilkerson says he's been searching for a job for almost a year, and explains connecting with others like him, gave him hope again.
"We talk to each other about family situations. You'd be surprised what you have in common with other people that are going through the same ordeal as you're going through day to day," explained Wilkerson.
After being unemployed for so long, Wilkerson says he learned to get up and get out.
"Never stay home or isolate yourself. That'll make you withdraw, and that is when depression and anxiety sets in for yourself."
If you would like to learn more about the free services at career link, please click here:
https://www.cwds.state.pa.us
For more information about the support groups which meet from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Tuesday at the Philadelphia Unemployment Project offices on Arch and Broad Streets, please click here:
http://www.philaup.org/
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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