Greater West Town Project (GWTP) has been providing job training and placement services for 35+ years, and we recently held our first annual Pathways Luncheon where we raised nearly $12,000 and were joined by 50+ attendees from our various employer partners. We interviewed one of the donors from our Pathways Luncheon, John-Paul Paonessa, who works at an employer partner of GWTP and sponsor of the Pathways Luncheon, Freedman Seating Company. Since 2011, GWTP has referred or placed 23 participants to jobs at Freedman Seating Company.
John-Paul is the Marketing Manager at Freedman Seating Company, where he has worked for almost 10 years. Part of his position includes promoting and demonstrating Freedman Seating’s Community Connections core value, which is that “We build strong partnerships with community-based organizations that share in our commitment to education, training, and career opportunities in manufacturing.” Freedman Seating has recommitted to their core values as they celebrate their 130th anniversary this year, all while being family-owned and operated in Chicago since its founding. As part of his position, John-Paul often attends hiring events, where he first learned about GWTP.
When interviewed for this blog, John-Paul noted that, “We appreciate that GWTP is working with a diverse group of individuals and of all ages.” And having attended and donated at the Pathways Luncheon, he commented, “[The Pathways Luncheon] is a great idea. Get your partners in the room to re-establish why the work is important. Fortunately, community organizations are so important to Freedman Seating.”
John-Paul noted the strong alignment between GWTP and Freedman Seating in how we both prioritize diversity and engaging the community in our work. “Freedman wants to emphasize to the youth that manufacturing is a viable career path and there’s many ways to be successful,” said John-Paul. “Introducing youth to job training and the trades is so important. In our communities, college might not be a path for everyone, and that’s okay. We want to support those young people to be successful” said John-Paul. Thank you for all of your support, John-Paul!