Peoria partnership program offers new work opportunities, second chances

PEORIA (25 News Now) - Partnerships in Peoria are bringing new opportunities for people working to re-enter society, and it’s helping your energy bill, too.

House of Hope Peoria and Ameren Illinois are coming together to teach felons new skills to be successful.

With Ameren, participants are learning to install smart thermostats. It’s work for them, and creates energy savings for the people receiving the technology.

All parties involved are calling this a win.

“This is a pilot program so I want to be successful so people like me, come from the same places as me have the same opportunity. There’s a whole lot of folks that would love to do this they just don’t know nothing about it,” said participant Steve Parnell.

“When we were planning our workforce programs a few years ago, we were looking for partners in the region that really understood the needs of the community and we kept hearing house of hope, house of hope,” said Energy Effiency Consultant Angie Ostaszewski.

She says nearly everyone in Peoria qualifies for a smart thermostat.

Click here to learn more about House of Hope Peoria and the programs they offer.