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Alice scurries up to the two women standing sheepishly at the front of the room. Job Celebration, as it is known in the Curtis system, begins.
"We have two very important people here. I'd like to introduce Vera and Tamara, and they need to tell you what's happened to them!" Alice gushes, squeezing one of the women's arms.
Tamara has found a child care job that will pay her $7 to $10 an hour. Vera will be cleaning rooms at a downtown hotel for $10.50 an hour.
The wages sound impressive, but both jobs are part time, meaning the women will remain on some kind of government assistance, even as they work.
In fact, more than a third of the San Francisco placements made during the first six months of Express to Success were in part-time or on-call positions. Whether full- or part-time, most placements were in entry-level jobs like these, but few paid as well. The average wage for placements during the program's first six months was $6.87 an hour -- which would provide income just above the poverty line for a family of three, if the job were full time.
"This is so wonderful," Alice enthuses, as she attaches a "What a Difference a Job Makes" pin to Tamara's bosom. "This is just a beginning. I know that this is the beginning of a new adventure for you, and here is your very own PayDay candy bar as a symbol of that."
For her reward, Vera picks not a clap, but a snap. The Beatnik Snap. Tamara chooses the Addams Family clap. Alice takes photos of the two women, each holding the prized PayDay under her chin. Other participants offer hugs and handshakes of congratulation.
Back in her classroom, Moore uses the morning's announcement as a teaching aid: "These women have been here three to four weeks. You see, you put it in, you get it back."
Next, she hands back professionally typed versions of resumes the women had turned in two days earlier. The resumes make the best of sparse employment histories and limited skills. One woman has not held a full-time job since 1977. Others have never worked full time.
Most have spent the past several years at home caring for their children, and have little to write. But instead of writing "welfare mother," the Curtis system has suggested different phraseology: self-employed homemaker. Operated household on a limited budget. Helped children with socialization skills.
After lunch, Moore directs the women to find partners. Taking one marker and a large sheet of paper, each pair of women must draw a picture together without talking. The activity is called "controlling colors."
At the end of the exercise, Moore asks the members of each "team" to introduce themselves by their positive nicknames. The groups must also tell the rest of the class about their pictures. Keisha (aka "Kourageous" with a "K") and her partner, "Fabulous" Francia, explain the line of green spikes that is their picture. "This is our green grass," says Francia. More pictures and explanations follow: a house with flowers in the back yard; sunshine and trees; money.
The exercise, Moore explains, shows who has passive or aggressive personalities, based on who "took control" of the marker. Discovering whether you are aggressive or passive will help you get along with co-workers when you find a job.
Another knock at the door interrupts the lesson: two more jobs in the Network Center! Another Express trainer, Jeff, a slight man with evenly rolled shirt sleeves, proudly congratulates two women who testify that the center has made them friendly and positive. The women from Moore's class and other, more advanced job-seekers look on with awe.
Jeff puts an arm around one woman, and leads a cheer, on the count of three: "You go girl!" he yells, thrusting a thin, pale arm skyward.
Day 5: NOIPs and POIPs
Today's lesson is simple: NOIPs are bad, POIPs are good. "This stands for Negative Opinion In People," explains the teacher, pointing to a frowning face on the ever-present flip chart. NOIPs have challenges in their lives that "make them this way," Moore says.
Uncapping a red marker, she draws a smile over the frown, and flips to "Three Steps to Being a POIP" (Positive Opinion In People).
1) Recognize a NOIP.
2) Show liking -- POIPing.
3) Do not take it personally.
The class nods and murmurs in agreement.
Positive thinking is crucial to getting a job, Moore reiterates. She has added a sheet of positive phrases to the Curtis curriculum. "Let's look at creating affirmations," she says. She leads the class through three suggested affirmations, repeating each three times: "I take full responsibility for myself, my actions, and my future. I appreciate my own self-worth. I am the center of abundance."
The last sentence, Moore says, states one of "the most powerful affirmations there is."
"When we said that, six people got jobs. Just like that," Moore snaps her fingers. "Claiming your affirmation is important. Say, 'I,' and meditate on it. That is your mantra."
There are other recommended daily affirmations, among them the "Divine Affirmations for the Spiritual Woman" (also known as "Divine Rights Touch of Life 1995). These affirmative statements include: "I am the master of my life. ... I am divinely searching for my purpose in life. ... I am a seeker of truth and wisdom."
Moore wants the class, fortified with this information, to visualize what their upcoming job interviews will look like. Again, lights go off, eyes are closed, and Moore begins the sermon.
"You are in the lobby, waiting for the employer. As you are waiting, you are taking deep breaths."
"You are thinking 'I am prepared. I am prepared.' "
"You have showered, your clothes are neat and pressed, you look and smell great. You are five minutes early. You have your master application, your resume, and a black pen."
