Jeremiah Program supports hourly employees at the gas pump

(ABC 6 News) – The Jeremiah Program (JP) a national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering single mothers and their children to achieve economic mobility, announced a new initiative to hourly workers in response to nationwide increases in costs of living. The program will give hourly employees a $100 gas card twice per month in all nine campuses across the country to provide commuting cost relief, including the campus in Rochester.

JP employees who are part of the new initiative are direct service providers, who provide quality childcare and other essential services that are a lifeline for single mothers who are currently trying to earn their college degree – many of whom are simultaneously holding jobs to support their children. These workers make up about one-third of JP’s entire workforce.

“Like many direct service workers, the national rise in COVID cases and gas prices has our staff at a loss for words,” said Jeremiah Program President and CEO Chastity Lord in a press release. “Humanizing this moment demands that we recognize and support those staff also living at margins, navigating the pain and complexity of being asked to do more with less. We hope this action also inspires other national and local groups to rise to the current economic challenges affecting their staff.”

The new program is being rolled out in the Austin, TX campus this month and will continue to the other eight campuses by the end of the month. It is currently scheduled to run for two months until mid-August.