SEATTLE — While all this snow has been a major inconvenience, it's also providing a paycheck for a group of workers trying to avoid homelessness.
“Whenever they send me out, I’m ready to go,” said Sam Yoshiyah Shamuwel, who participates in a work program at the Millionair Club, a Seattle non-profit that provides jobs for people experiencing homelessness and unemployment.
Yoshiyah Shamuwel and Dwayne Harrell earned $15.50 an hour for shoveling snow from the sidewalks at a commercial building in Madison Valley, Wednesday.
“I get to pay my bills. They don't turn my cable and stuff off, that’s what the Millionair Club has done for me,” Harrell said.
Usually, the club's job opportunities are in sports concessions, housekeeping, and landscaping. When Seattle needed help clearing a path through the snow, the Millionair Club reached out to past customers, offering a hand.
“It is kind of like therapy for me,” Harrell said.
“If somebody is just getting off the street and trying to better themselves and get on their feet, the Millionair Club is the best in Seattle,” said Yoshiyah Shamuwel, who plans to join a carpenters union in the coming weeks.
More info on how to hire Millionair Club workers here.