Helping jobseekers find the right information.

Information is a powerful tool, and access to the right information at the right time can change lives. Information can
lead to opportunity. With an unemployment rate topping nine percent and a poverty level of approximately 16 percent, Bridgeport is home to numbers of low-income and unemployed people who need information critical to their well-being, such as resources for housing, food, transportation, healthcare, childcare, and educational/job training programs. Unfortunately, many of them are not well-equipped to find these opportunities. The digital divide is well-documented, demonstrating that low-income families are less likely than others to be connected to a key source of information – the Internet. They are also less likely to use more traditional sources of information, such as libraries and resource directories.

Recognizing that people could benefit from a walk-in center that offers face-to-face contact, provides information, and teaches people to use computers to find information, Career Resources developed The Community Network Center in Bridgeport, with the guidance and support of InfoLine. The Community Network Center provides information and referral to people in need, recruits volunteers from the community and teaches them how to find resources so they can teach others, and publishes a weekly electronic bulletin highlighting community events and sharing “community classifieds.” It is a resource for human services staff seeking help for clients as well as a resource for clients themselves. The Community Network Center is located at 2 Lafayette Square, in Bridgeport, along with the CTWorks project operated by Career Resources.