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Suisun City Salvation Army Job Fair Draws Big Crowd

SUISUN CITY (CBS13) — Call it dedication or desperation, but the first person in line for a Salvation Army job fair that started at 9 on Wednesday morning was in line at 3:40 in the morning.

Facing double-digit unemployment and the chill of a winter morning, they lined up and wondered: Will this be the day?

The Salvation Army has 76 jobs open for its new Suisun City community center, from managers to kitchen staff.

Heather Rafferty was in line after just going back for her GED.

"I need a job. I'm unemployed. Help!" she said with a laugh.

So's Angela Blandon. She went from business owner to employee to now unemployed.

"I lost my business," she said. "I've been looking (since) two weeks ago maybe."

But you won't hear her or folks like Damian Grissom complaining even though he's been looking six months.

"it's difficult but if you're in the network opportunities will present themselves to you," he said.

Damian knows by now that it's a numbers game. He said he's noticing more job listings and hopes it's a sign that the economy could finally be turning around.

"You gotta be optimistic," he said. "Nothing's gonna come to you. You gotta persevere."

The Salvation Army says it received thousands of calls about this job fair and expects something like 500 potential job-seekers to show up. They should start hearing back in a few weeks.

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