In Search for Job, Ingomar Member Finds Ministry for Unemployed
When Bud Longfellow, a member of Ingomar UMC, lost his job in 2003, it would have been easy for him to feel sorry for himself and retreat behind the four walls of his own house. But he didn’t. Instead, he gathered a small group of people from Ingomar and began networking.
That was the beginning of the Seekers job-search group, which is free and open to anyone looking for a job.
It currently is held every second Tuesday of the month.
The objective is to provide a place for the unemployed to gather and receive encouragement, support, job-search tips, job leads, and valuable connections. Seekers has helped more than 280 people secure quality jobs within their chosen profession.
The group attracts members from as far away as Ohio, Greensburg, and Johnstown.After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, the Seekers helped displaced professionals from that area find jobs here in Pittsburgh. Most recently, Longfellow has reached out to a job-search group associated with a Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, and is exploring the possibility of sharing with them network contacts and job leads for people who may be willing to relocate.
“Our focus on networking is unique to other job-search groups,” said Longfellow. “That’s important because networking is responsible for people finding jobs about 90 percent of the time.”
Other job-search groups emphasizes out-placement support and academic aspects like teaching the techniques of interviewing. “The Seekers group is more personal,” says Stan Foster, 65, who recently lost his job as vice-president of Operations at Pittsburgh’s now-bankrupt Carbide Graphite Group. Other groups have upwards of 120 people sitting around in a class-like setting, while Seekers typically has 10 to 15 people sitting around a table. “One by one, we go around the table focusing on each person, learning their background, circumstances, and career goals,” said Foster. “Everyone else around the table then contributes ideas and shares any job-leads or connections they may have.” Longfellow also brings in experts to offer presentations on various issues faced by the unemployed. “Ingomar Church is blessed to have many people with well-established networks,” said Roy Huffman, co-facilitator of the group.
Sally Johnson couldn’t agree more.When she lost her job as a fundraising campaign manager for United Way, she was connected with Renny Clark, another Ingomar member who has contributed many job leads to the Seekers group.
“Renny is probably Ingomar Church’s best-kept secret,” she smiles. “He’s everywhere. He knows everybody. He helped me get three interviews: one with the Girl Scouts; one with the University of Pittsburgh; and one with Family House (an organization which sets up housing for out-of-town family members of patients or for patients awaiting transplants).”
Johnson landed a director of Community Resources job with Family House. “I love this job!” she exclaims. “Networking is the only way to go,” she says of looking for a job in today’s world.
“Bud is another walking encyclopedia of people,” Huffman adds. Always aware that a potential job lead can come from anyone, anywhere, any time, Bud keeps his radar on at all times, whether he’s at a professional function or a casual gathering of friends. He forwards each resume he receives to an evergrowing network of people who are sensitive to his outreach mission and, thus, keep a vigilant eye open for job leads around town.
But the Seekers is more than networking.
It helps keep the unemployed motivated, optimistic, and confident.
“When I lost my job, I had twins getting ready to graduate from high school,” says 45-year-old Harry Medsger, who first heard of the Seekers through his friend, Ingomar Church member Dick Bopp. “It was a hard time to be unemployed. I had two kids getting ready to start college. Coming to the Seekers group helped keep my spirits up. It was important to me to have others understand what I was going through. They kept me motivated.”
“When you’ve worked for the same company for the past 35 years and you lose your job, it can be tough,” admitted Foster. “I’m not used to looking for a job, my interview techniques are not sharp. But Seekers has helped increase my confidence. I think it’s very important that people don’t try to solve their unemployment situation by themselves. They need to get into a group, to get support, to get direction, to get help.”
The heartache of losing his job in banking hit Rick Levander, 59, the hardest at Christmas time, when he was unable to buy gifts for his grandchildren.
For 57-year-old Christy Roselle, the most discouraging aspect of being underemployed was having to work behind the counter of a restaurant to make ends meet, despite the fact that she possessed seven years of college education and an enviable resume of work experience.
Neither Levander nor Roselle are Ingomar Church members, but they both found hope and encouragement with the Seekers job-networking group.
“Faith-based organizations like the Seekers are truly a gift to those in the job-search mode,” adds Rick Dermond, a 39-year-old looking for a business manager position.
“Seekers gives folks hope for tomorrow.”To many seeking employment, finding such hope is as valuable as landing a new job lead.
Of the ministries at Ingomar, Seekers is one everyone wishes and prays could be deemed obsolete. Until then, the group will be on hand to help those searching for hope, encouragement, and employment. “The people who run Seekers are amazing with their desire to help us,” said Roselle with a smile. “The group gives me the confidence to keep going. I don’t know where I’d be without them.
Most likely, I’d be back to reading the job listings printed in the back of the PennySaver and selling myself short.”
To learn more about Seekers or start a similar ministry in your community, contact Longfellow at his email link below or Ingomar Church at
Contact Bud Longfellow Email