INDIANAPOLIS -- A partnership between an employer and the Ten Point Coalition is giving ex-offenders the chance to work again and make money.
William Nash spent time in prison, and for that, paid his debt. But when he got out and applied for jobs, he couldn't find one.
"When I came home, it was really hard to find a job, because a lot of people say that they hire felons, but they give you an interview and look through your background and turn you down," Nash said.
But Nash did eventually land a job with Reiss Structural and Architectural Products, an Indianapolis company that's partnered with the Ten Point Coalition.
Ten Point recommends potential employees – many ex-offenders – like Chris Cobbs, who also volunteers for the organization.
"I feel ecstatic about it," Cobb said. "They're opening doors for people that want to work, and they're judging off of character."
Nash and Cobb are starting out at the bottom, but both are in training to learn welding and a career through an employer that already hired six people through Ten Point, with plans to hire more within a week.
"They don't necessarily have the skills we're looking for right now, but they're dedicated and hard workers and they have a good attitude," said Reiss President Erin Surinak. "And they want to learn – that's one of the big things. They want to learn, and so we can teach them if they're willing."
Reiss is located in an area where the Ten Point Coalition patrols, but the organization hopes that other businesses will follow Reiss' lead.
"This company wants to be part of the solution, and we talked about ways they could help, and one is providing jobs," said Rev. Charles Harrison.
