CLEVELAND — Thousands of workers in the restaurant industry have lost their jobs, following closures and a statewide stay-at-home order.
One local company, founded to help formerly-incarcerated workers get back in the game, is finding ways to help laid-off workers get back on their feet.
EDWINS in Shaker Square is offering virtual advice and counseling via services like Skype to laid-off workers in the restaurant industry on weekdays from 12 to 2 p.m., by appointment only. Workers can connect with a case manager, who can help them navigate through the process of filing for unemployment, direct them toward other resources and services available to them and give advice and guidance on their careers.
To make a reservation for a video conference slot, call (216) 921-3333 or email info@edwinsrestaurant.org.
"We’re a sounding board. We can help listen, we can help advise, recommend, we can also help direct you in the position of a job," said Brandon Chrostowski, founder, president and CEO of EDWINS. "It may not be in the restaurant business, but we have a plethora of people who reach out to us saying we need people to do X, Y and Z."
Chrostowski said his hope is to build hope among the restaurant employees who are out of work and said that restaurant workers know how to be clever and creative.
"It’s essential that you get up and fight, no matter how bad you feel or how bad it may be," Chrostowski said. "You gotta get up and fight, because if you don’t, you’re done."
