TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Finding steady employment can be difficult for homeless people. Sometimes they face obstacles that make it difficult for them to keep a job. The Impact Project at Sister José Women’s Center helps women with longer-term housing while also allowing them to work at the shelter.

The Impact Project supports homeless women who are severely affected by their living conditions and suffer from hardships such as disability or extreme poverty.

Guests like Jessica Willems joined the project two months ago and works in the kitchen as a dishwasher. She also prepares meals and takes care of the housekeeping.

“I had just been released from prison and was accepted into a program at Desert Gardens, and Desert Gardens referred me here,” Willems said.

The project participants work in three-hour shifts and receive the minimum wage.

“It’s really changed my life. I’m getting an apartment and I’m not on the streets anymore, and that makes a huge difference,” Willems said. “I’m getting a job, and I like that.”

The project allows guests to connect and build relationships with volunteers in a work-like environment. Kelly Stefanski, lead volunteer kitchen coordinator, says she is proud of all the hard-working guests.

“Everyone has a story and I am amazed by the strength of these women, their perseverance and their ability to keep going,” Stefanski said.

This work can help guests boost their resumes as they look for jobs elsewhere. But Deanna Gillingham, a former guest turned chef, has other plans.

“I’m going to gain more experience and – well, I plan to retire here,” Gillingham said. “So I’m not going anywhere else.”