Matthew 6:33 says,"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his

righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Jobseekers USA uses this Scripture as its mission statement. If they seek

God, then He will provide.

Jobseekers allows unemployed men to meet with other men who have

been through the program to be encouraged, identify skills and job hunting

techniques, to network together and to discover spiritual fulfillment

through Jesus Christ.

Despite current economic trends foretelling a stable economy, a degree

of unemployment remains with devastating effects on these families.

Larry Pelkowski, a former nine-year resident of Peachtree City who

currently lives in Alpharetta, decided to bring Jobseekers to Atlanta's south side.

His personal experience of being unemployed after his company downsized

left him needing the support of other men in similar situations.

Pelkowski's wife found an advertisement for the Atlanta-based

Jobseekers and recommended he try it.

"It's a tremendous organization,"

said Pelkowski, who has been a controller at Pathway Communities of Peachtree

City for a year and a half. "There are a lot

of great contacts and people who have been through the process who are willing

to help ."

The Peachtree City Jobseekers reaches out to men in Fayette, Coweta and

Troup counties.

Pelkowski said it was uplifting being with people willing to help and

around people with the same circumstances.

He said many of the Jobseekers participants are men in middle management who lose their jobs to corporate downsizing, or as it is said in management terminology, "right-sizing."

Over 1,500 men have participated in Jobseekers since it began in 1991 in Atlanta by founder Dennis Brown. These men are often in a crisis, facing lapsing bills and mortgages, college tuition

and struggling marriages.

"It's great that it's all male," said Pelkowski. "Men just won't open up in a co-ed environment."

While the organization is upfront in offering men the chance to understand the Bible and know Jesus Christ, it is open to all denominations and non-Christians. In fact, a principle of the ministry is

to offer a non-threatening atmosphere, which encourages men to seek Jobseekers' help.

The new Peachtree City-based Jobseekers will meet at Longhorn's Restaurant at the intersection of Ga. highways 74 and 54 beginning Aug. 7 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. every Friday. There is a

breakfast of coffee, juice and doughnuts.

"I've been working on this for a year and a half," said Pelkowski, "and now it's finally coming to fruition."

Guest speaker for the first south side meeting will be Jobseekers USA founder, Brown.

During the first hour of each meeting, attending men will hear the testimony of a successful businessman, who has gone through career difficulties and found God as a result. Following this

presentation, a 30-minute Bible study is offered.

Every man who attends Jobseekers receives a copy of the New Testament and is presented with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The second hour of the meeting focuses on employment and techniques to improve job-hunting skills. Volunteer leaders teach men better interviewing skills and how to write effective resumes.

Jobseekers has had the degree of success it has due to the number of men who give back to the ministry by continuing to network with new members. Typically, when several men are in the

same professional management field, they are able to inform others as job openings become available.

Many volunteer leaders offer weekend and evening workshops on key topics for gaining employment.

Jobseekers USA is a nonprofit organization and is free for all who want to participate. For additional information on how to participate in the new Peachtree City group, call Stuart Hunter at

770-632-9641.

The mission of Jobseekers USA

· Minister to the needs of Christian and non-Christian

men who are seeking employment

· Provide help to the men in finding a job

· Provide a spiritual "Christ-centered" support organization

for unemployed businessmen

· Provide a non-religious atmosphere for witnessing

and offering men a personal relationship with Jesus Christ

· Provide a connection for Jobseekers graduates with

churches and disciple groups for continuing spiritual growth

· Provide an opportunity for spiritual growth and support

for unemployed Christian businessmen

· Provide a service opportunity for employed Christian

businessmen to contribute their time, talents and resources

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