Episode 83: From Soup Line to Career Path: Housing and Jobs That Stick with Daren Strunk

John sits down with Daren Strunk, COO of St. Joseph the Worker, to explore how real wraparound support—resumes, tools, transportation, soft skills, and the 90-day Workforce Villages housing program—helps people move from “a job” to “a career.” They talk budgeting and food planning under 5 dollars per meal, why soft skills drive promotions, and how employers can fill roles faster by partnering directly with community organizations. John shares how these partnerships helped PHP Commercial Painting scale from a small team to 100 employees without running ads. Highlights: Workforce Villages: save 80 percent for 90 days and graduate with 5,000 dollars for housing Free resources that remove day-one barriers: boots, tools, gas cards, bus passes, interview clothing Soft skills that employers actually promote for: communication, reliability, teamwork, leadership A practical employer playbook: culture fit, feedback loops, and retention beyond day 22 Guest: Daren Strunk, COO, St. Joseph the Worker — theworkeraz.org