Putting People To Work With Compassion

The Buffalo Lutheran Employment Service (B.L.E.S) celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year. Currently operating with a

client database of 35, while making a minimum five job lead referrals per client, BLES provides minimum 175 job leads to its

client database each month. Successful job lead referral to actual employment, however, has been disappointing, primarily

because matching resumes to job leads over the Internet does not favor first time job seekers, persons working toward high

school equivalency and/or those without a well-defined skill set. Another approach is needed to service those daily entering

our building to seek our help. The BLES response is four-fold. The first is to form alliances with employment staffing

agencies where, according to the American Staffing Association, “90 percent of staffing companies provide free training to

their temporary and contract employees.” Moreover, 88 percent of staffing employees say that temporary or contract work

made them more employable. The second response involves creating a coded “hope” resume cover page for each BLES

client, which sets forth their hopes and plans once they are employed. So much of hitting the target has to do with aiming at

something; and Scriptures warn of the need for a vision (Prov. 29:18). A brighter vision can lead BLES clients to recognize

their need for more education. The third response invites staffing agencies and BLES clients to a monthly HOPE Breakfast

where agency members will be given a booklet of “hope” cover letters. Agency members will be asked to select (by check

box) letters of interest and BLES clients can then introduce their selves and provide their full resumes. The fourth response

is The Hope Report, a proposed newsletter containing the following highlights:Resume cover letter selected Hope Letter of

the Month (voted at HOPE Breakfast,) Staffing agencies that attended HOPE Breakfast, “Thank you” to job providers of the

month, BLES Seniors meetings and activities, Monthly BLES Food Pantry stats, BLES Next Month Job Target, Spotlight on

Job Trainer of the Month, Peace Circle Training Activities, Crime Prevention Training activities, Financial Literacy Workshop

activities. BLES services are free and we are willing to help individuals who are seeking employment with resume creation and

job training and workforce development. We partner with other agencies to help our clients access resources. 

Web site sponsored  by a grant  from the Lutheran Women's Missionary League

Buffalo Lutheran Employment Service 

Open Monday - Friday 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Please call for an appointment - (716) 892-7682