Admissions Counselor Genea Moore (sitting at table) talks to a parent about the Joliet Job Corps Center.

Thousands of people attend the Catholic Charities annual Back-to-School Fair that’s traditionally held in Joliet during the early part of August.

They come for the many wonderful items and services that are offered completely free of charge: children’s physicals, colorful school back packs, pencils and pens. This year, many of them got some great advice on how to build a better career by attending the Joliet Job Corps Center.

BCL Stewart Warren and Violeta Lopez and Genea Moore, DESI Admissions Counselors, had a table at the Aug. 4 fair, held for the first time at the St. Clare Campus on Plainfield Road in Joliet. They distributed candy to the kids and talked to many parents and young adults about the benefits of the Job Corps program.

They talked about the eight trades offered on Center, the possibility of earning a high school diploma or a GED and the medical, dental and other services included in the program. Ms. Warren gave her business card to many of them, and Ms. Lopez and Ms. Moore took the names and phone numbers of people who were interested in more information and a tour of the Center.