Connecting Resources and Opportunities
Opportunity Center Connects Job Seekers to Resources and Employment
When the Cedar Rapids Public Library flooded in 2008, operations moved to the westside location in Westdale Mall. The increased focus on the westside branch and its services made it clear that this part of the community needed a permanent, well-rounded library. In 2013—the same year the new downtown location opened—the Ladd Library opened on Williams Boulevard.
More than a decade later, the Ladd Library has grown into a valued resource for nearby residents. When the Opportunity Center opened in Ladd in 2019, the library became a place where people could access a wide range of additional resources.
“The core focus of the Opportunity Center is to provide resources to the community to support employment and job training goals,” said Erin Maeder, Opportunity Center Program Coordinator. Through resume workshops, computer skills classes, mock interviews, and career fairs, the Opportunity Center helps people find employment.
Most clients are seeking help with completing job applications or writing a resume. Others are not sure what careers they are interested in or how their skills will translate to the workforce. The Opportunity Center can connect those people with assessments and then job training programs.
These services can have a big impact on the local economy; many employers struggle to find qualified people to fill their open positions.
Unfortunately, those visiting the Opportunity Center sometimes have more pressing needs.
Erin Maeder, Opportunity Center Program Coordinator
“A lot of times people are facing multiple challenges,” Erin said. “I work closely with a lot of organizations to get people connected to essential resources first, so we can get to a point where we focus on employment goals.”
Erin can connect visitors to resources because of strong partnerships with other local organizations. The Opportunity Center itself is a collaboration between the Library, Kirkwood Community College, United Way of East Central Iowa, HACAP, and the City of Cedar Rapids. Other partners include IowaWorks, Goodwill, Catherine McAuley Center, DeltaV Code School, and the Financial Wellness Center at Horizons.
The Opportunity Center is also connected to 70+ service providers via My Care Community. This collaboration allows agencies to make digital referrals to one another and see what services an individual might qualify for. The Opportunity Center might connect a client to unemployment benefits, job training, or tuition assistance, but also healthcare, housing, childcare, or other services through My Care Community.
The Opportunity Center refers more people to the Catherine McAuley Center (CMC) than anywhere else. Among other services, CMC provides immigrants and refugees with job coaching, workplace English classes, and connection to employers.
“Employment staff meet with clients both at the CMC offices as well as onsite at the Opportunity Center,” said Renae Popelar, Interim Director of Refugee & Immigrant Services. “We provide these clients with resume building, application assistance, and employer outreach services to promote stability.”
This partnership is especially important in the Westdale area, where many immigrants and refugees live.
Jon Dayton (left) speaking with an attendee at a computer skills workshop.
“This area is known for being a resource desert,” Erin said. “There are so many low-income families around here, so placing the Opportunity Center here was strategic. The new Westside Library will be just a few blocks away, and that was very intentional.”
The Cedar Rapids Public Library is currently raising funds for the new facility and expects to break ground this fall. In the Ladd Library, the Opportunity Center is currently in converted staff offices. The space has served its purpose, but it is less than ideal.
“The Opportunity Center will be easier to find in the new building,” Erin said. “We will also have more small office spaces, where employers and community partners can work one-on-one with clients.”
More than fifty people have used the Opportunity Center each month over the last year. With a more visible and versatile space, library staff hope to increase that number in the future.
Learn more about recent grant awards from the Community Foundation.