Community Jobs in Kittitas, Yakima, Toppenish and Sunnyside offices Community Jobs is another program developed to address the issues and impact of welfare reform. Since its inception in September 1999, the goals of the program have been consistent: increase motivation, resolve barriers and provide quality work experience to welfare recipients who have had little or no success in the workplace. Each Community Jobs participant is scheduled to work 20 hours per week, for up to nine months, in a nonprofit or governmental agency. Additionally, Community Jobs clients engage in another 20 hours of training and/or job search activities each week. Each participant receives case manager support, on-site job mentoring and job skills training. The main emphasis of this program is on development of work maturity skills such as completing assignments, understanding directions, problem solving and getting to work on time each day. Community Jobs clients are referred to People For People by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services’ WorkFirst program; they are paid minimum wage during their job placements. Some participants are retained as permanent employees at their Community Jobs site, while others are referred on to the private sector or to other nonprofit organizations.