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At 60, David Filori found himself homeless in Missoula, Montana. Despite working in a kitchen, his income wasn’t enough to meet his basic needs, leading him to sleep in his car.
“Eventually, I just decided I wanted to do better for myself,” Filori said.
He visited The Salvation Army Missoula (Montana) Corps for food assistance and its hygiene facilities and laundry services. While there, he discovered the four-week Job Skills Workshop Series, which was starting its first session.
“I just said, ‘Where can I sign up?’” he said. He wanted a higher-paying job.
He joined eight others in the free workshop series, facilitated by professionals from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, a state agency providing job training and workforce development services.
Meeting once a week at the corps’ computer lab, the series covered career exploration, résumé building, interview techniques, dressing for success, beginner LinkedIn usage and how to apply for jobs online.
Upon completion, participants receive a certificate and a Walmart gift card to purchase clothes, toiletries or other essentials needed for an interview or job.
“The program helps participants gain soft skills like communication and teamwork to function effectively in the workforce,” said Missoula Corps Officer Major Monica Covert. “The goal is to help people be prepared for interviews and jobs.”
“We let them know that it’s OK if they don’t have a lot of job experience or if they don’t have a résumé. We’re here to come alongside them and help them start that process.”
Rosalie Hill, Workforce Consultant with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry
After arriving in Missoula as Corps Officers in 2022, Covert and her husband, Major Robert Covert, soon realized there were limited employment support resources throughout the state.
“We recognized that homelessness would only increase without access to job support,” Covert said. “By equipping individuals with the tools and skills needed for employment, we can improve their chances of stable housing.”
She said five out of nine individuals in the program were experiencing homelessness while living in their cars or a motel.
The Coverts’ experience with The Salvation Army’s STEPS program—a transitional employment service for men—in a previous appointment in San Diego enabled them to replicate some of the program’s components in Missoula.
“Witnessing how the STEPS program transformed men’s situations lit the fire in us to create something similar in Montana,” Covert said.
The Missoula Corps partnered with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry for two years on a Work Experience program (WEX) that brings individuals to work at the corps through a government grant.
“Some of our staff here are participants in the WEX program,” Covert said. “We decided to build on that partnership by going back to the basics and providing individuals with opportunities to develop soft skills that will support them in applying for jobs.”
For Filori, guidance from experts in the labor industry gave him the support and assistance he needed.
“They taught me more effective ways to communicate and stay positive when talking about myself and my abilities,” Filori said. “The best thing I learned was how to sell myself in an interview.”
On the program’s final day, Filori used the gift card to purchase new clothes and then attended an interview at a restaurant, where they offered him a job that would pay more than his position at the time. He said he didn’t hesitate to accept.
“The teachings from the facilitators were great,” Filori said. “Their one-on-one support, patience and experience in the workforce helped me get back on track.”
Workforce Consultant with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry Rosalie Hill helped facilitate the courses and developed parts of the curriculum. She said it’s all about meeting participants where they’re at.
“We let them know that it’s OK if they don’t have a lot of job experience or if they don’t have a résumé,” Hill said. “We’re here to come alongside them and help them start that process.”
She said providing a program with basic support is essential for individuals who have been out of the workforce for an extended period.
“We reintroduce simple human interactions that can lead to successful interviews,” Hill said. “They learn what professionalism looks like and how to communicate their skills and experiences to potential employers.”
Robert Covert said equipping individuals with tools for self-sufficiency boosts their confidence in what they can achieve.
“When William Booth started The Salvation Army, he did so with three S’s: soup, soap and salvation,” he said. “In our appointments, we’ve always aimed to add two more: self-sufficiency.”
Supporting self-sufficiency can put individuals in a position to take control of their lives and pursue new opportunities, he added.
The Job Skills Workshop Series will restart in February and continue with quarterly sessions.
“I feel more confident about my future because of this program,” Filori said. “I’m now focused on finding housing and going forward.”
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