BATON ROUGE - Fourteen graduates were part of Christian Outreach Center's job readiness program that teaches work and life skills to those who may have fallen on tough times.

"Anything from flat out, square one homeless, all the way to living under the poverty line, all the way up to the ALICE population," said Brian Sleeth, Executive Director at the Christian Outreach Center.

The program is aimed at helping them get back on their feet and following their goals.

"It taught me things about some of the interviews that I had, things I can do different, better, it taught me having a little more confidence and being more positive in that aspect," said Janice Hammond, a graduate of the program.

Out of the 14 graduates, two were part of the prison re-entry program.

"They helped me get back to my work ethic, get close to my family and learn all my priorities and getting my life back together."

David Chambliss had been in and out of prison for seven years. After going through the program, he's now a graduate and has landed a job as a plant worker.

"I never had the backup plan. They gave us a good backup plan, and I saw it as an opportunity with a lot of resources, so I decided to take that chance and go with it," Chambliss said. "At first, it was a little hard because it was new and something I wasn't sure was going to work out, and in the end, it definitely benefitted me."

His story proves that a want for change can go a long way.

"I'm thankful for the program, and I'm getting closer with my kids because that was my main goal. I wanted to be around family, and they helped me," Chambliss said.

If you or someone you know may need a helping hand in job readiness, you can contact the Christian Outreach Center at (225) 377-8582, or visit their website here for more information.