Welcone to Embers and Wind!

“And he grew up in poverty without a father and started working at age 14 so he taught us the value of hard work.... and to appreciate people. He’s very caring. His Catholic background is very important to him. And I worked for him in a couple of his different businesses throughout the years. And one thing he always taught me was 'When you hand out that paycheck, you thank the employee.' And so when I’m working with people, I always like to thank them. 'I don’t care if they messed up big time at the end of the night. I want you to thank them because you’re not in business without those people.' And so I use kind of that same theory with the participants. I always thank them for being there at the end of the day. And that I look forward to seeing them in the morning, So that's really the biggest coach of my life and to this day." Special guest Bartholomew County Work's coach Dawn Bieberle shares in describing her father.

I'm your host, Keith Weedman. In each podcast episode, you will hear stories. These stories will feel like a tender wind blowing on the embers of service that glow within you. In this weekly show, you will learn ideas, kindling for your embers. It will be your choice to utilize the gentle wind to ignite the kindling.

In this episode, Dawn defines what she means by lighting a spark in others. It includes doing whatever it takes to help participants overcome barriers. She shares her story how she enrolled in BCW in her 50s after earning her college degree, then applying for 76 jobs, having 12 job interviews and no job offers. Longstanding BCW volunteer Harriett Armstrong, Purdue referred Dawn to BCW.  She enrolled to build her job interviewing skills because she had never interviewed for a job before getting her degree. Then she shares how her former BCW coach encouraged her to apply for BCW coach when her former coach retired. Dawn shares her current role fulfills her personal vision. She shares that the program begins with 32 hours of classroom training which includes mock interviews. She relies heavily upon community volunteers whom she calls community partners to present on topics that include healthy eating, legal issues, empowerment and how to deal with stress. She stresses how much participants benefit from their mock job interviews and the feedback they receive to build their interview skills. She notes how participants build confidence throughout the week and is humbled by the positive feedback participants provide her at the end of the week and beyond. She feels warm inside knowing she made a difference. She shares two stories to illustrate how much participants are helped by BCW.

She appreciates Yes Cinema and Sans Souci for providing work experience to build job skills for those who need work experience and positive work habits. She shares that after the workshop, she maintains weekly contact until they land their job. Then she stays in touch through text messages and Facebook Messenger.

To learn more about the Bartholomew County Works, their Facebook page is the website listed for this episode.  To email Dawn, her email address is:  [email protected]. She is always looking for volunteers and is currently seeking volunteers to help prepare resumes for participant and for volunteers who can help Dawn access credit reports for participants. 

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