Christian Women’s Job Corps marks 20 years

Tara Luke teaches job search skills during a 2022 fall class at the Christian Women’s Job Corps of the Highland Lakes facility in Burnet. The nonprofit plans an open house on Sept. 24 to celebrate 20 years of providing job and life skills to women. Courtesy photo
The Christian Women’s Job Corps of the Highland Lakes on Sept. 24 celebrates 20 years of teaching job and life skills to women looking to better themselves. The facility at 218 E. Jackson St. in Burnet invites the public to an open house from 2-4 p.m. that day for a look at all of the services it offers to area women.
The fall session begins Aug. 29 and runs for 12 weeks through mid-November. The faith-based program teaches accounting, customer service, and job search skills such along with writing résumès and interviewing. Classes include training in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other business computer programs.
Personal skills, such as budgeting, are also taught. The center recently added a sewing class. One of the first projects was to sew lap quilts to be given to different organizations.
“It’s all free,” said site coordinator Brenda Rienstra of the training. “We are faith-based, so we do incorporate bible study into the program.”
All teachers are volunteers.
“We are the hands and feet of Jesus to these women,” Reinstra said. “A lot of our clients come from abusive situations or from rehabilitation from drugs and alcohol or just down on their luck. We give them a lot of love and encouragement. I’ve never heard any student who hasn’t said this was a life-changing experience. It’s a big thing, a transformation.”
For more information about the open house or training, call the Christian Women’s Job Corps at 512-756-1484 or visit its website or Facebook page.