LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Truckloads of rejected linen from Caesars properties are being recycled by refugees in the Las Vegas Valley.
The workforce program is run by Lighthouse Charities.
Their CEO and Founder, Cindy Trussel, says they turn old towels and other linen into cleaning rags, before selling them back to Caesars.
She estimates recycling about 1 million pounds of linen every month.
With every rag recycled, Francoise Maric and other Lighthouse Charity clients are getting one more notch of experience under their belts.
“Before I came here, I knew nothing,” Maric says.
When she came to Las Vegas from Uganda eight years ago, she faced many challenges including not knowing English.
“I wanted to talk to you, but I could not,” she says.
Another challenge she faced was not having a resume or work experience.
“A lot of those references that they’ve had or that they have from other countries don’t always transfer,” Trussel says.
Lighthouse Charities Workforce Training Programs, like their linen recycling program, build their clients’ resumes while teaming them what it’s like to work in the U.S..
“Using the time clock, taking breaks, taking lunches, even getting direct deposit,” Trussel says.
Clients are also learning English along the way through one-on-one tutoring, and are getting paid for their work.
“We never had a saving in our country,” Maric says. “But, now I can say I have some savings in my account.”
Maric’s message to anyone in her shoes eight years ago: Don’t be scared, have hope, and reach out to Lighthouse Charities.
Lighthouse Charities has several Workforce Training Programs, including a bakery, a hydroponics program and a newly opened two acre farm.
All of the programs are free to refugees. You can learn more about the nonprofit here.
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