It's been a long four years for Russel Pike. He's been out of work and down on his luck since he lost his daughter. "I'm looking to get back to work, it's difficult though," he said.
He stood in line with hundreds of people at the Workforce Investment Board in Madera. All of them hoping for part-time work at Marshalls. A new store is opening in August. 2,200 applications have already been accepted but only 90 people will get hired.
Adriana Cuevas says the job could help her get through college, "I've put in several applications, it's hard," she added, "most places aren't hiring, this place came so now I have to take a chance."
Inside the building, managers interviewed applicants in cubicles. Megan Dyer says her interview went well. "Pretty optimistic, coming in, not knowing what's going to happen...now I have a second interview, it's encouraging," she said.
People were also optimistic outside. Tonya Thomas hasn't collected a paycheck in a year and she's ready to take on any kind of work, "with the amount of work experience I have, I'm pretty confident," she added.
But for Russel Pike, this isn't just about a paycheck. It's about getting his life back, "it's very important, it would help me move on in my effort to move forward in life."
Marshalls plans to interview another 800 people throughout the week. The store should be fully staffed by Friday.
TXT 24
Twitter
Facebook